Tobacco Control Bill Moves Forward With Broad House Support

Belize’s Tobacco Control Bill was presented for its second and third reading in the House of Representatives on July 31. The legislation received broad bipartisan support during the lengthy House sitting, with parliamentarians agreeing on the need to protect children, workers and the wider public from tobacco use, nicotine addiction and second-hand smoke.  Once the legislation comes into effect, smoking will be prohibited in public places, workplaces and public transportation. Belize Rural Central Area Representative Dolores Balderamos Garcia, who supported the bill, outlined several of the locations that will be covered by the restrictions.

Owners and managers of affected premises will be required to display no-smoking signs and take reasonable steps to prevent people from smoking in prohibited areas. Health Minister Kevin Bernard told the House that designated smoking rooms and ventilation systems do not adequately protect workers or the public from the toxic chemicals contained in tobacco smoke.  The bill also prohibits the sale of tobacco products to anyone under eighteen and requires sellers to verify a buyer’s age using photographic identification. Electronic cigarettes and other nicotine or non-nicotine vaping products would be banned from being manufactured, imported, distributed or sold. Flavoured tobacco products and additives, including menthol, would also be prohibited.  Other provisions include a ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, as well as the sale of individual cigarettes. Tobacco packaging will be required to carry graphic and written health warnings covering at least eighty percent of its main display areas.  While supporting the bill’s objectives, Opposition Leader Tracy Panton questioned whether the Ministry of Health has sufficient personnel, funding and technical capacity to enforce its extensive provisions. Police officers, customs personnel, public health inspectors and Bureau of Standards inspectors will be among those authorized to inspect premises, seize prohibited products and take enforcement action.  A National Tobacco Control Committee will also be established to coordinate policy and oversee implementation. The legislation, which was first introduced in October 2025, is intended to bring Belize into closer compliance with the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, ratified by the country in 2005.