Total ban on tobacco use in NMI restaurants sought

Implementation of stricter programs on anti-tobacco use in restaurants and other business establishments throughout the islands may jeopardize increased efforts to lure more visitors into the Northern Marianas.

This same concern prompted the Department of Public Health to call for a review by the Legislature of such policy’s possible impacts in the local tourism industry.

Commonwealth Health Center pediatrician Norma Ada told the Legislature that certain places in the mainland US no longer allow smoking practices in enclosed areas. Some restaurants have, in fact, banned the use of cigarettes when dining while others put up a separate area for smokers alone.

Ms. Ada said there should be a clear cut policy in terms of areas where smoking will be allowed to effectively promote anti-smoking programs of the health department.

Ms. Ada stressed restaurants should implement measures on how to protect non-smoker visitors.

But as observers say banning cigarette use will affect the tourism industry, Ms. Ada asked the Legislature to seriously look at ways on how to encourage reduced smoking in restaurants without offending the tourism industry.

“We should denormalize cigarette smoking to protect people from second hand smoking, there will be potential effects on tourism industry since almost 90 percent are Japanese tourists,” the pediatrician explained.

Currently, DPH and the NMI Retirement Fund are mapping out anti-tobacco programs to effectively educate people on the hazards of smoking.

DPH also recommended the creation of Tobacco Prevention and Control Advisory Board for the implementation of Youth Prevention and Education Program.

However, implementation of all these programs will be delayed until the finance department identifies where to get the missing funds from the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement.

During the recent public hearing on tobacco funds, Acting Finance Secretary Robert Schrack received barrage of inquiries on why the initial $815,000 payments were deposited and co-mingled to the general funds.

The finance official explained that in the absence of a legislation to govern the appropriation of money, the Legislature failed to identify first hand where it should be deposited.

Automatically, Mr. Schrack stressed funding are co-mingled to the general funds. But since the government is working on a continued funding resolution and cash deficits, the initial payments were diverted to the general funds to operate various government machinery.

The absence of trust fund forced government officials to use it but it should not, on the other hand, restrict the Legislature from setting up a special fund to handle remittances in the future.

Despite the absence of funds, the Senate ordered NMIRF and DPH to sit down and iron out a mechanism that will govern the proper disbursement of the $30 million tobacco settlement in the next 25 years.

House Bill 12-290 guarantees that all returns from the investment of the Master Settlement Agreement funds, 30 percent will be used by the Group Health and Life Insurance Trust Fund to exclusively pay for its obligations to on and off-island health providers; 40 percent will be for the funding of DPH’ operations of government health centers including public schools on Saipan, Tinian and Rota, and the implementation of a Youth Tobacco Education and Prevention Program.

Since December 1999, the CNMI government has received about $815,254.94 in five separate payments. The Commonwealth’s share from the settlement totals to $30 million whose payment will be spread in 25 years.

These are part of the $206 billion master tobacco settlement agreement with giant U.S cigarette manufacturers in exchange for dropping of the lawsuit over health costs on treating sick smokers. (EGA)