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Implement anti-smoking laws, experts ask government

PESHAWAR: Expressing concern over violation of ‘Prohibition of Smoking Ordinance 2002’, health experts have pressed on the need for devising an efficient plan of action to ensure implementation of the said law to avoid tobacco hazards and have a tobacco-free society. This suggestion was unanimously underscored by experts in a one-day workshop on Development of Work Plan for Tobacco Control, arranged jointly by Federal Tobacco Control Cell, Provincial Health Department and WHO here Sunday. Experts and authorities from various sectors took part in the workshop. Shaheen Masood, Federal Cell for Tobacco Control DG, said the workshop was aimed at ensuring support of major stakeholders to accelerate efforts for controlling tobacco use and hammer out a plan of action for tobacco control. She said Pakistan was one of the most tobacco consuming countries in South Asia, wherein 22 million people were tobacco addict. She said 300 people died from tobacco related diseases while 500 more were admitted to hospitals daily due to its use. She said around 100,000 deaths occurred due to tobacco in the country every year. She went on to say that youths were the most vulnerable group and use of Shisha was also an emerging health risk for adolescents. She said tobacco was responsible for 90 percent of lungs cancer, 90 percent of COPD, 40 percent of all cases of cancer and 20 percent of other the fatal diseases in Pakistan. Quoting salient features of the Health Ordinance 2002, the expert said apart from prohibiting use of tobacco in any form at public place and public transport, the law had also banned its publicity through media. She said the Ordinance had prohibited sale of tobacco to those below the age of 18 years and had prohibited storage and sale of tobacco within the 50 meters of educational institutions. “The law also bounds in-charges of public places to exhibit boards cautioning the people that it is a no smoking zone and that smoking is an offence,” she maintained. She said it had been declared that violation of the ordinance was a punishable crime. Prof Dr Mukhtar Zaman, a prominent pulmonologist, delivered a detailed lecture on tobacco dangers and its prevalence in Pakistan. He called for preventive measures to avoid health hazards of tobacco. Dr Shahid Mahmood Kazi, FCTC DG, Implementation, introduced a work plan and monitoring tools for tobacco control. Dr Fazal Qayum, Public Health Director, said use of tobacco was the sixth major cause of deaths in the country. Giving details of tobacco consumption in NWFP, he said that 30 percent male and seven percent female were its regular users in the province. He deplored that though Smoking Prohibition Ordinance was passed in 2002, majority of the people were not aware of its importance still. The participants called for devising a mechanism to check sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products to children. app

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