Training of 200 members of the Mauritius Police Force (2016)

VISA marked World No Tobacco Day 2016 by organizing a series of activities aimed at promoting the enforcement of the Public Health (Restrictions on Tobacco Products) Regulations 2008. These included the following:

• Training of 200 members of the police force through 5 one-day regional training workshops, organized in the month of May 2016 in collaboration with the Mauritius Police Force at the Police Training School of Beau Bassin. This capacity-building exercise of the police force on tobacco control follows two training workshops held at the Gold Crest Hotel in 2015. The purpose of the training was to contribute in improving enforcement of the Public Health (Restrictions on Tobacco Products) Regulations 2008 through a better understanding of the health hazards of tobacco use and the tobacco regulations of 2008 among the different cadres of the police force.
• Production of bookmarks.
• Production of T-shirts
• Production of banners
• Organisation of a smoke-free campaign at Chemin Grenier,Souillac, Riviere du Rempart, Mahebourg, Flacq, Rose Hill, Curepipe, Port Louis with a view to discouraging smoking in public transport, namely taxis and buses. Taxi and bus drivers, bus conductors and the passengers were targeted. The campaign included the following activities:

+ Fixing of ‘No Smoking’ stickers in taxis and buses as prescribed by the Public Health (Restrictions on Tobacco Products) Regulations 2008;

+ Display of 2 banners in the vicinity of each campaign area;

+ Motivation of taxi and bus drivers, bus conductors and the public on the hazards of exposure to tobacco smoke by a team of 10-15 volunteers in the vicinity of each targeted bus/taxi station; and

+ Distribution of educational materials to the public in the vicinity of the campaign areas.

Click here to read more on the activity
Click here to read more on the Workshop Programme
Click here to read more on the Production of Bookmark
Click here to read more on the Presentation Dr (Mrs) Deelchand – Ill-effects of tobacco
Click here to read more on the Presentation – Dr Marie France Chan Sun