? Dr. Jeetah, it has been a year since you introduced a series of measures aimed at reducing cigarette and alcohol consumption. Could you please remind us of these measures?

It is now absolutely clear that the sale of cigarettes and alcohol are directly related to the high rate of morbidity and death. The scale of these two items surpassed the magnitude of the health and education budget put together in 2008.

? Any figures you would like to shock us with?

They stood above 13 billion rupees! So we introduced a ban on alcohol advertising and made it illegal to smoke and consume alcohol in public. Furthermore, the glamorous pictures trying to portray virility and youth on a packet of cigarettes are out. Diseases inflicted are portrayed instead.

? Have these measures contributed to the decrease in consumption? Let’s start with alcohol.

Yes, indeed they have. The sale of spirits has decreased from Rs. 18 million in 2008 to about Rs. 13 million in 2009. The sale of wine has gone down too. This will not only contribute to improving health but will go a long way towards attenuating many social problems including crime and violence particularly against women.

? Which of these measures that you introduced do you think has helped most?

I cannot tell you exactly which of these measures has helped the most but all of them put together have had a definite effect on curbing this scourge which is responsible for 50% of the cases interned in Brown Sequard Hospital. The ban on advertising, coupled with the aggressive campaigning my ministry has been involved in have had positive results as the figures show.

? What about cigarettes? What story do the figures tell?

Since March1st, we have introduced a total ban on cigarettes in all public places. Health warnings and the awful pictures on the packets were introduced as from June 2009.

? Were you not lenient with the tobacco companies? You initially said April and you waited until June.

There are very strong lobbies. We waited for a while but we did what we had to do.

? You mean you gave in to the tobacco lobbies?

No, they argued that they had a stock to finish. We allowed them to finish it. But don’t forget that we have done something which is a first in the world. We are top in the world for the percentage of the cigarette packet covered. It is 65%. We have been congratulated by a number of countries and some like Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago are even using our regulations and health warnings as a model.

? Because the measures were drastic you compromised?

No, there was no compromise. In fact, we did exactly the opposite of what the cigarette companies wanted us to do: they said that they wanted to be allowed to sell packs of ten cigarettes, we banned those. They asked for the ugly pictures on the packets not to be used, we had them put in a large enough format to cover 65% of the packet. Is that compromise? When you do exactly the opposite of what they ask for?

? If you are going to do the opposite of what they ask you to do, why do you negotiate with them?

We don’t negotiate with them. Heaven, no! We are signatories of certain protocols which do not allow us to negotiate with them even if we wanted to. But they use their lobbies to try and get their way. And this time, they were unlucky. And the measures taken have reduced the number of cigarettes imported.

? There was not exactly a decrease was there?

(Hesitation) There was a substantial decrease in the increase. Let me explain: in 2007, we imported about 774 million sticks, in 2008, over one billion, which means an increase of nearly 41%. After the measures were introduced, we registered a very slight increase of about 7%. That is a major improvement on the 40%!

? Is it because cigarette consumption has not increased or could it be because cigarette companies built up a nice stock to delay having to sell packets with ugly pictures?

That might be the case. But the fact remains that cigarette consumption has not gone up. It has remained stable. I agree that we have to compare over a longer period of time.

? Is that good enough?

No, it is not good enough. Cigarettes kill and I wish I could, as Minister in charge of health, help everyone to stop smoking. But this is a free country and people at the end of the day will make their own choices. We can only make it difficult for them to smoke with the hope that this might be an incentive for them to stop. And it is a fact that public and leisure places like restaurants have become smoke-free. And I think it is a good thing.

? Restaurants have responded quite well, to be fair. But places where there is a big concentration of young people and where the tobacco companies are getting them hooked for life are still smoking areas.

(Smiles) What places are you thinking about? Maybe I don’t go out enough.

I mean places like discotheques where the tobacco companies are having a field day.

I have heard about those and I have noted the names. The flying squad will be paying a visit to them shortly and the fines will be commensurate with the damage they are causing if they are not abiding by the law. So far, there has been no major outcry that people are breaking the law. And I can see myself that people have responded quite well. I hope in time we will achieve our target.

Apart from that, you are happy with the outcome?

One cannot be happy since smoking is a major cause of death, lung cancer, diabetes and heart conditions and this affects nearly half of the population and 50% of deaths in this country are unfortunately linked to the heart. Everyone knows that the consumption of cigarettes and alcohol exacerbates heart disease.

? Has it been easy for you to implement these measures?

Oh no. Lobbying was strong and it haunted me everywhere. They have links with powerful people but I had the support of the government so I stood my ground.

? You seem to be much happier as Minister of Health than as Minister of Industry

(Laughs) No. (Hesitates) I am not in a popularity contest I’d like to think that I contributed positively to my previous ministry. I think of both as opportunities to serve the country and I take the challenge quite seriously. We created the right environment for SMEs. In 2005, the textile industry was nearly dead and look at it now…Textile is flourishing, though business is tough. Even the cooperatives have a new impetus.We talked to the banks and facilitated loans. We created a climate of confidence. I am also happy that we have been able to bring in the Competition Commission.

? The Competition Commission of Mauritius?

Yes. There was so much resistance. I was labeled as anti-business but then in every civilized country you have laws against monopoly and bad business practices. If you take Desbro for example where these guys just walk in and say, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, we REQUIRE an increase in the price of iron bars’ Which we refuse.

? But then what happened after Desbro closed down?

It opened again. Someone took it over.

? But then there was a time when iron became unavailable and when available more expensive

Because there was a situation of monopoly. Look what has happened today. There is a lot more competition and the price has gone down, hasn’t it? Thanks to the measures government took. We did not give in to lobbies. Today you can see that everyone benefits from the competition.

? So what is your next crusade?

I don’t have a crusade. I will fight against anything likely to jeopardize the health of our people. You know as much as I do that diabetes is a major problem in this country and that it affects younger and younger people so we took the initiative of regulating the rubbish which our children are served at school.

? Yes, but the canteen operators claim that you have given in to their pressure and that you have lost the battle.

Yes, if the battle is one of semantics, we have lost it. But I am not interested in semantics. Our nutritionists recommend so much carbohydrate, vitamins, minerals etc.-whether the carbohydrate is called pizza, Panini, bread, farata or dhol purri is immaterial. But we certainly did not give in to serving poison to our children. Sugar, fizzy drinks and colas are not allowed. Fried foods are out and that is a major revolution.

? What about the street hawkers?

You have to start somewhere and we have done what others did not have the courage to do. We will take the measures further. But then what about people’s responsibility?

? When our children leave our home, they are under YOUR responsibility. You cannot protect them from dog bites and deliver them to the wolves.

I have taken one step and the dogs around them were vicious. Now, people are becoming more conscious of what they eat. We have banned fizzy drinks, fried foods and all unhealthy stuff in school canteens. Grant us that.

? We do. We have supported you for that. We still do. We would like you to do even more.

(Laughs) I like the pressure you are putting on me. It will spur me on. That is my next challenge. I promise.

Touria PRAYAG

Touria PRAYAG