The Ministry of Health's Anti-smoking Campaign is gradually catching up with a lot of fast-food shops, restaurants and hotels in the Accra Metropolis.

The ministry in the early 1990s made it mandatory for tobacco companies to provide a warning sign "Smoking can be dangerous to your health" on the packets of cigarettes.

A survey carried out by the Ghana News Agency revealed that most of the managers had totally banned smoking or designated smoking areas within their premises due mainly to pressure from their non-smoking customers.

Ashtrays were also not displayed around as was formerly done.

The survey was carried out at Papaye, Steers, Frankies, Dynasty and Regal restaurants and in hotels, including La Palm Royal Beach, Labadi Beach, Golden Tulip, Novotel, Sunrise and North Ridge.

Most of the managers who spoke to the GNA at Osu, Oxford Street, said business was booming even after the "No Smoking" sign went up last year. Mrs. Gladys Larbi, personnel officer of the Papaye Fast-food and Restaurant, said business has continued to grow since the sign was put up last year.

She said they had to put up the ban order due to the health hazard smoking poses to non-smoking customers who are in the majority. "Nowhere within our premises do we allow customers to smoke, not even on the balcony. The only place where it is allowed without confrontation is on or around the car park," she said.

At the Regal Chinese Restaurant, the manager, Mr. Tak Cheong Lo, said the restaurant has been designated into a smoking and non-smoking areas. "When the restaurant is overbooked, we take over the smoking areas and appeal to smoking customers not to smoke.

"We are particularly cautious when our customers come in with their children; it is then that we make the whole restaurant a no-smoking area".

A waiter at Steers said the 'No Smoking' sign was up on the very day that business started, adding that an open-air area near the car park is the only place that has been provided for smoking customers.

The Corporate Affairs and Marketing Manager of La Palm Royal Beach, Ms Wilma Bruce, said the hotel has both smoking and non-smoking designated areas, especially in the restaurant, the bar and rooms.

"We ask customers what they prefer when they are checking in and provide them services accordingly," she said. The Labadi Beach Hotel, however, did not appear to have any policy on smoking as ashtrays were seen distributed around. The manager was not readily available for his comments.

The personal assistant to the general manager refused to comment, saying "as far as I am concerned, I do not know if this hotel has a policy on smoking or not. The GM is the best person to talk to".

At Golden Tulip, the personal secretary to the general manager, Mrs. Aku Aryee, said guests are allowed to smoke anywhere in the hotel except on the first floor where maintenance equipment are kept.

"But the hotel has also designated a number of 'no smoking' rooms purposely reserved for non-smokers. At the bar, there is a smoking and no-smoking area and these signs have been placed on the tables."

Novotel also has no smoking rooms and designated bar and restaurant for smokers. Almost all the hotels, however, allowed smoking at their reception and front desk areas. North Ridge Hotel allowed smoking everywhere except the restaurant whilst the Sunrise Hotel did not have any policy on smoking.

In 1998, the World Health Organisation said tobacco was the greatest single cause of deaths and disabilities, and warned that by the year 2020 tobacco-related deaths are expected to grow to 10 million per year. Tobacco has been known as the main cause of lung cancer. Less known is the fact that it kills even more people through many other diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and other chronic lung diseases.

The WHO report said tobacco dependence is a real public health problem which warrants serious attention if the epidemic of tobacco-related deaths is to be reduced.