Smoking Laws in Aruba

I heard that they ban smoking in casinos. It may take some time for it to be implemented, but it looks like it is going to happen. This law is essential for public health. Smoking is not only harmful to health, but also to people who live near smokers or who are constantly in close proximity to smokers. In Aruba, 12.6 per cent of the population aged 20 and over smokes. Studies show that cigarette smoking increases the risk of non-communicable diseases. These are long-term cancer, throat cancer, COPD, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and many others. Therefore, the introduction of this law in Aruba is essential for the health of our community. Therefore, the National Regulation on the Restriction of Tobacco Products (Landsverordening beperking tabaccoproducten) entered into force in Aruba on 2 May 2022. This national regulation aims to (i) discourage the initiation of smoking (especially among adolescents), (ii) influence the smoking behaviour of smokers so that they quit smoking, and (iii) promote the protection of so-called passive smokers.

The previous smoking ban, enacted in the United States in 2016, was halted due to the absence of a national decree. The reason for this is that the Wever-Croes cabinet decided to amend the previous law, which was an initiative of AVP MP Marlon Sneek. The law is “incomplete,” “inconsistent” and “difficult to enforce,” Oduber told Amigoe in October. “It was not feasible, so we decided, on the advice of the Ministry of Health, to adapt and modernize it,” he said at the time. “I decided to follow the advice of the Ministry of Health because they are the experts in this field. As a next step, I have appointed a committee to revise this national regulation and to draw up the necessary proposals for amendments. The Department of Goods Inspection and Hygiene (DWH) also enforces this law. You will be fined if you do not comply with the law. The purpose of this section is to prevent youth from using or smoking tobacco products at a young age. Alcohol Consumption Laws – The legal drinking age in Aruba is 18 for beer, wine and spirits.

Although the consumption of alcoholic beverages is allowed on the beaches, be sure to remove all empty bottles, as Aruba`s authorities strictly adhere to their waste laws. This ban applies to schools, recreation areas, dining halls with terraces and even bus stops. Smoking is not allowed on the terraces. because of their proximity to the buildings. Article 2 contains some exceptions, such as car parks, palapas, beach or areas without walls and/or roofs, where this smoking ban does not apply. The enforcement of this law is in the hands of the Department of Inspection and Hygiene of Goods (DWH), which can impose fines for violations of this law. Most of the outdoor restaurants allow smoking, at least all the ones we visited, only one that wasn`t in downtown Iguana Joes. I thought a bartender said they were trying to ban it in every restaurant, but it would take a year or more for that to pass.

Telephones – To make a local call from a pay phone, you must purchase a $5, $9 or $18 calling card at the airport, hotel counter, gas station or supermarket. You can also dial 121 to make a stall call. Most cell phones work in Aruba, but you may need to call your carrier first to make sure you have an international plan. Prices are typically in the range of $2 per minute and 50¢ per text. Be sure to disable the data plan on the island, otherwise your phone will incur charges when you try to connect to the network to check for system updates. AT&T customers can dial 916/843-4685 to reach an operator from a cell phone, or call 800-8000 from phones at cruise docks and the airport. Verizon`s global customer service number is 908/559-4899. Sprint`s customer service in Aruba is tel. 888/211-4727. T-Mobile can be reached at tel.

888/866-2453. Local mobile phones can be rented at the airport on a daily or weekly basis. The two main airlines are Digicel (tel. 297/522-2222; www.digicelaruba.com) and SETAR (tel. 297/583-4000; www.setar.aw). Prices are $50 per week for a certain number of minutes, with a per-minute fee for overruns. There are additional charges for outgoing and incoming calls and a deposit is usually required. For frequent calls, Skype allows you to use your laptop to make calls to landlines and mobiles for pennies. If your hotel has free Wi-Fi, you`ll save a package, as long as you`re willing to take the laptop with you. With the new smoking ban, smoking is prohibited in public places such as schools, bus stops, outdoor areas of restaurants and recreational areas (Article 2).

Smoking is also prohibited on all public transport (Article 4) and on private transport in the presence of a minor (Article 2A). The law also stipulates that employers are responsible for the protection of workers from tobacco smoke in the workplace during working hours and must provide separate and well-ventilated smoking areas (Article 3). The minimum age for purchasing tobacco products will be raised from 18 to 21 (Article 6), as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). In addition, the Act also provides that no tobacco product may be supplied free of charge to individuals and that it will also be prohibited to sell cigarettes in bulk (section 6A). Finally, it is prohibited to sell or distribute tobacco products in certain institutions such as government, medicine, culture and arts, sports and education (Article 5). Anyone who does not comply with these new rules should expect a fine. The departments that will be responsible for enforcement and enforcement are the Department of Product Inspection and Hygiene (DWH) and the Aruba Police Force (KPA). ORANJESTAD — no more individual sale of cigarettes, no more tobacco products for those under 21 and no smoking in public places; These are some of the changes that will become reality from May 2. The new tobacco law will come into force on that day, Health Minister Dangui Oduber said yesterday at a press conference. What are the general smoking laws when traveling to Aruba? We understand our hotel rules, but we care about public laws, where applicable. These rules apply to all tobacco products intended for smoking, snorting, sucking or chewing and consisting of tobacco, even partially, even if they are genetically modified. This means that these bans cover not only cigarettes, pipe tobacco and cigars, but also chewing and snuff, hookahs, herbal cigarettes, nicotine-free tobacco, all forms of e-cigarettes, hookah pens and other tobacco products.

4. Article 4: prohibition of smoking on all public transport; You can smoke in all casinos, but not in restaurants. You can also smoke on the beach and in the pools. I have never seen no-smoking signs on beaches or swimming pools. At least not in the places I`ve stayed. IT seems to depend more on the policies of any company than on the laws of the state. There was tobacco in some restaurants we visited. Smoking – All restaurants, casinos and bars allow smoking. Many have non-smoking areas. In general, smoking in hotel lobbies is limited to the casino or bars. The hotels have smoking and non-smoking rooms. As of May 2, 2022, the legislative amendments related to tobacco products will come into force.

The main changes include banning smoking in certain areas, including transportation, as well as banning the sale of cigarettes to people under the age of 21. This law will come into force on May 2, 2022. In short, the changes are as follows: 1. Article 2: prohibition of smoking in public places; 2. Article 2 A: prohibition of smoking in private transport when a minor is in the vehicle; “Smoking causes heart attacks.” “Smoking reduces fertility”. “Smoking can kill your unborn child.” “Smoking causes cancer of the mouth and throat.” Everyone knows the warning texts and images on tobacco products. Lung cancer is directly linked to smoking and is the eighth leading cause of death in Aruba. Smoking also increases the risk of diabetes, which has already been diagnosed with 16.24% of Aruba`s population. In the context of health care, as set out in the government program, the government therefore considers it desirable to take measures against smoking. The new smoking ban includes many important changes, but does not go as far as the Netherlands`.

This year, cigarette vending machines will be banned, in 2023 there will be a ban on the sale of tobacco online, and from 2024 the sale of cigarettes in supermarkets will be restricted. All this is expected to lead to around 12,000 fewer smokers in the Netherlands by 2030. The sale of tobacco is then to be phased out from 2030. Two years ago, Minister Oduber told this newspaper that he was interested in the same plan, but that it should be treated separately after the current law is introduced.