PARAMARIBO, Suriname, CMC – The Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC), a civil society alliance for combatting chronic diseases, has praised Suriname for its strong anti-tobacco legislation that outlaws smoking in public. “The HCC extends congratulations to the citizens of Suriname with the passing of the Anti-Tobacco Law by parliament on February 7. This is an important step in the fight against the ill-effects of tobacco and will have a positive impact on the health of the people of Suriname,” it said in a statement Tuesday. The Anti-Tobacco Law passed by a 39-13 margin last Thursday, allows people to smoke at home, in their cars or other private places.