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Marshall Islands Revised Code 2012

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Tobacco Control Act 2006 [7 MIRC Ch.17]

MARSHALL ISLANDS


REVISED CODE 2012


TITLE 7


PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE


CHAPTER 17.


TOBACCO CONTROL


ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS


Sections.


Part I – Preliminary


1701. Short Title.
1702. Definitions.
1703. Purpose.


Part II - General Requirements.


1704. Product Regulation.


Part III - Packaging and Labeling.


1705. Requirement for Packaging and labeling.


Part IV - Advertising and Promotion.


1706. Requirements for Advertising and Promotion.


Part V - Distribution.


1707. Prohibition in relation to distribution of tobacco.


Part VI - Use


1708. Smoking in Work Place and public areas prohibited.


Part VII - Measures to combat smuggling.


1709. Requirement for Export.


Part VIII - Inspection.


1710. Appointment and Powers of Inspectors.


Part IX - Enforcement.


1711. Offenses and Penalties.


Part X - Financial Provisions.


1712. Establishment of a Tobacco Control Fund.


Part XI - Administration of the Act.


1713. Administration of the Act.
1714. Effective Date.


_____________________________


An Act to regulate the manufacture, labeling, promotion, distribution and use of tobacco products.


Commencement: December 5, 2006

Source P.L. 2006-68


PART I - PRELIMINARY


§1701. Short Title.


This Chapter may be cited as the Republic of the Marshall Islands Tobacco Control Act, 2006.


§1702. Definitions.


In this Chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:


(a) "appeal" refers to the ability of a product to provide physical or psychological pleasure, satisfaction, or other positive quality to the consumer;

(c) "character" refers to the distinctive qualities of a tobacco product;


(d) "composition" refers to the content, arrangement or combination of substances included in the processing and manufacture of tobacco products;












(r) "child" means a person under 18 years old.


§1703. Purpose.


The purpose of this Chapter is to reduce tobacco use and its consequent harm by:


(a) protecting children and other nonsmokers from inducements to use tobacco;


(d) promoting a climate where nonsmoking and the absence of tobacco promotion is the norm.


PART II – GENERAL REQUIREMENTS


§1704. Product regulation.


(1) No person shall manufacture, sell, or import a tobacco product except in compliance with this Chapter and any regulations made under this Chapter .

(2) Every manufacturer and importer of a tobacco product shall provide the Secretary, in the prescribed manner and within the prescribed time, information about the product and its emissions as required by Regulations promulgated under this Chapter .

(3) No person shall sell, offer for sale, distribute, advertise or promote any brand of tobacco products that was not sold, distributed, advertised or promoted in the country at least one year before the effective date of this Chapter .

(4) The Minister may make regulations:





(d) generally as needed to carry out this part of the Chapter .


PART III – PACKAGING AND LABELING


§1705. Requirements for packaging and labeling.


(1) No person shall manufacture, sell, or import a tobacco product unless, the package containing it displays, in the prescribed form and manner, information required by the regulations concerning:





(2) No person shall package tobacco in a manner that allows a consumer or purchase of tobacco products to be deceived or misled concerning its character, properties, toxicity, composition, merit or safety.

(3) Requirements under subsections (1) and (2) do not relieve a manufacturer or retailer of other obligations or liabilities arising from other applicable legal norms to warn consumers of the risks of using tobacco products.

(4) The Minister may make regulations on:


PART IV – ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION


§1706. Requirements for advertising and promotion.


(1) No person shall promote or cause to promote by any other person, a tobacco product or a tobacco product-related brand element, except as prescribed by the Chapter or regulations.

(2) Notwithstanding regulations made under this Chapter, no person shall promote or cause to promote tobacco products or brand elements:






(3) Nothing in subsection 2(e) of this section shall prevent a person from sponsoring or causing to be sponsored any athletic, musical, artistic or any other social or cultural event, or any entry or team in any event, in the name of a corporation which manufactures a tobacco product, provided that both the corporate name and the corporation were registered and in use in this country prior to 31 January 2006 and that the corporate name does not include any brand name (alone or in conjunction with any other word), trade-mark, trade-name, distinguishing guise, logo, graphic arrangement, design, slogan, symbol, motto, selling message, recognizable color or pattern of colors, or any other indicia of product identification identical or similar to, or identifiable with, those used for any brand of tobacco product.

(4) Nothing in this section shall apply to the publication by a manufacturer of a tobacco product advertisement in a printed publication that is intended for distribution only to employees of the tobacco trade for trade purposes.

(5) No person shall offer or provide any consideration, direct or indirect, for the purchase of a tobacco product, including a gift to a purchaser or a third party, bonus, premium, cash rebate or right to participate in a game, lottery or contest, or distribute a tobacco product without monetary consideration, or in consideration of the purchase of a product or service or the performance of a service.

(6) The Minister may make regulations:




PART V - DISTRIBUTION


§1707. Prohibitions in relation to distribution of tobacco.


(1) No person shall sell or offer to sell tobacco to a child.


(2) It shall not be a defense to the above-mentioned clause that the person appeared to be 18 years old or older.

(3) It shall be a defense to subsection (1) that the purchaser presented a prescribed form of identification showing his or her age and that there was no apparent reason to doubt the authenticity of the document or that it was issued to the person producing it.

(4) Nothing in this section prevents a person from giving tobacco or a tobacco related product to a young person if the gift is made solely for use in traditional, spiritual or cultural practices or ceremonies.

(5) No person shall sell or offer to sell tobacco products except in a package containing the quantities or number of units prescribed by regulation.

(6) No person shall sell or offer to sell tobacco products in a place other than those prescribed by regulations.

(7) Notwithstanding any regulation made under this Chapter, no person shall sell or offer to sell tobacco products in the following places:





(8) No person shall sell or offer to sell a tobacco product unless it is hidden from view of the general public at point of sale.

(9) Notwithstanding subsection (8), retailers may post signs indicating that tobacco products are available for sale, the specific products or brands available for sale, and their respective prices, provided that brand elements are not visibly displayed.

(10) No person shall sell or offer to sell tobacco products:





(11) No person shall, at any place or premises in which tobacco or tobacco-related products are sold at retail, display any sign respecting the legal age to purchase tobacco or tobacco-related products unless the signs is supplied or approved by the Ministry of Health.

(12) The Minister may make regulations:


(a) prescribing acceptable forms of identification under subsection (3);


(b) prescribing quantities of tobacco to be sold in a single package;


PART VI - USE


§1708. Smoking in work place and public areas prohibited.


(1) No person shall smoke tobacco or hold lighted tobacco in enclosed, indoor areas of any private or public work place, or any public place.

(2) For the purpose of this Chapter, private or public work places and public places include inter alia the following:

















(3) All private and public workplaces and public places shall post signs, in accordance with regulations, that clearly indicate that the establishment is smoke free.

(4) The Minister may make regulations:

(b) generally as needed to carry out this part of the Chapter .


PART VII – MEASURES TO COMBAT SMUGGLING


§1709. Requirements for export.


(1) No tobacco product shall be exported from the Republic of the Marshall Islands without the posting by the manufacturer or exporter of a bond for shipment with the Ministry of Finance in the manner and an amount to be prescribed by regulations and containing the following information and documents, as applicable:


















(2) The bond made pursuant to subsection (1) shall be forfeited unless the manufacturer or exporter, as applicable, provides the Secretary of the Ministry of Health with the following information within 30 calendar days of the date the goods are shipped.

(3) Evidence of the claim of custody and proof that all goods reached their final destination without any product being sold or distributed without the full payment of all applicable duties, including but not limited to:







(4) The Minister may make regulations under this Part to establish requirements to enable the tracking and tracing of tobacco products through the distribution from the manufacturer to the point where all relevant duties and taxes have been paid, for the purpose of assisting law enforcement authorities to detect and investigate illicit manufacture and distribution of tobacco products and identify those responsible for illegal activities under the Chapter .

(5) Regulations under subsection (4) may include but are not limited to the use of:


(d) any other relevant technology that may emerge.


PART VIII – INSPECTION


§1710. Appointment and powers of inspectors.


(1) For the purpose of this Chapter, the Minister in consultation with the Public Service Commission may appoint any person or designate any class of persons to perform the duties of inspector. Responsibilities of an inspector shall be specified in the act of appointment.


(2) Every person authorized as an inspector under subsection (1) may, at any reasonable time, to ascertain compliance with this Chapter and the regulation under it, enter and inspect any of the following places:






(3) Authorized inspectors shall have the following powers, which no person shall deny, obstruct, or hinder:








(4) An inspector entering a place to inspect it under this section must, on request, provide the operator of the place with proof of identity and produce a certificate or appointment signed by the Minister, or by a person designated in accordance with regulations.

(5) An inspector may not enter a dwelling-place except with the consent of the occupant or under the authority of a search warrant issued in accordance with applicable laws of the Republic.

(6) No person shall hinder in any way the performance of the duties of an inspector or analyst, mislead them by concealment or false statements, or refuse to provide them with any information or document to which they are entitled under this Chapter, or destroy any such information or document.

(7) During an inspection under this Chapter, an inspector may seize any tobacco product or other thing by means of which or in relation to which the inspector believes on reasonable grounds that this Chapter has been contravened.

PART IX – ENFORCEMENT


§1711. Offences and penalties.


(1) Any person found guilty of violating any provision under section 1704 of this Chapter shall be liable for a fine of:


(a) in the case of an individual, not less than $500 and not more than $5,000 for the first offense, and of not less than $1,000 and not more than $10,000 for subsequent offences; and


(b) in the case of a manufacturer, not less than $1,000 and not more than $10,000 for the first offense, and of not less than $2,000 and not more than $20,000 for subsequent offences.


(2) Any person found guilty of violating any provision under section 1705 of this Chapter shall be liable for a fine of:



(3) Any person found guilty of violating any provision under section 1706 of this Chapter shall be liable for a fine of:

(a) in the case of an individual, not less than $500 and not more than $5,000 for the first offence, and of not less than $1,000 and not more than $10,000 for subsequent offences; and


(b) in the case of a manufacturer, not less than $1,000 and not more than $10,000 for the first offence, and of not less than $2,000 and not more than $20,000 for subsequent offences.


(4) Any person found guilty of violating any provision under section 1707 of this Chapter shall be liable for a fine of:




(5) Any proprietor, owner or manager of any premises listed under section 1708 of this Act found guilty of failing to enforce the smoke-free policy applicable to the facility under his or her responsibility, including the posting of prescribed signs and ensuring that any designated smoking areas meet the requirements of the Act and its regulations, shall be liable for a fine of not less than $500 and not more than $5,000 for the first offence, and of not less than $1,000 and not more than $10,000 for subsequent offences.

(6) Any person found guilty of smoking in a place where smoking is prohibited under section 1708 of this Chapter shall be liable for a fine of not less than $500 and not more than $1,000 for the first offence, and of not less than $1,000 and not more than $2,500 for subsequent offences.

(7) Any person found guilty of violating any provision under section 1709 of this Chapter shall be liable for a fine of:





(8) In addition to any fines imposed, any person found guilty of violating any provision under section 1709 of this Chapter shall be liable for a penalty equivalent to the proceeds from the distribution of illegal tobacco products as well as taxes and duties owed on those products.

(9) Nothing in this Chapter shall preclude the criminal enforcement of its provisions in a Court of competent jurisdiction.

(10) Where a person is found guilty of an offence under any section of this Chapter other than section 1709, the Court may impose an additional fine in addition to any other penalty, following an application by the prosecuting party appended to the statement of offence, equal to the amount of monetary benefit gained by the person as a result of the offence, even if the maximum fine is imposed under another provision.

(11) A person who commits or continues an offence under this Chapter on more than one day is liable to be convicted for a separate offence for each day on which the offence is committed or continued.

(12) Any person found to have violated any requirement under this Chapter or implementing regulations may be ordered to pay the reasonable costs associated with any inspection, investigation and enforcement action brought about by the non-compliance.

(13) The Minister shall make regulations in respect of the following matters:






PART X – FINANCIAL PROVISIONS


§1712. Establishment of the Tobacco Control Fund.


(1) There is hereby established a Fund to be known as the Tobacco Control Fund, which shall comprise of:



(2) All fines, fees and charges imposed under this Chapter shall be paid to the Ministry of Finance and all monies received by the Ministry of Finance under this section shall be deposited into the Tobacco Control Account.

(3) The Tobacco Control Account shall be administered by the Secretary of the Ministry of Health and the Secretary of the Ministry of Finance.

(4) Fines, fees and charged collected under the Chapter and regulations shall be deposited as follows:



(5) Administration of this part of the Chapter will be subject to the provisions of the Financial Management Act 1990 and Procurement Code 1988.

(6) The Minister of Health shall, no later than 01 October each year, report to the Cabinet on the following:



(7) Procedures relating to the collection, deposit and refund of bonds pursuant to section 1709(1) of this Chapter shall be in the manner and form prescribed by regulations.

PART XI – ADMINISTRATION OF THE ACT


§1713. Administration of the Act.


This Chapter and regulations promulgated under the Chapter shall be administered by the Ministry of Health.


§1714. Effective Date.


This Chapter shall take effect on the date of certification in accordance with Article IV of the Constitution and the Rules and Procedures of the Nitijela.


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