Anti-smoking move hailed

international | environment | news report Saturday November 11, 2006 16:44 by Qasim Rajpar

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Network for Consumer Protection has welcomed the Islamabad district administration’s step to formally bring smoking in public service vehicles under traffic offenses.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Network for Consumer Protection has welcomed the Islamabad district administration’s step to formally bring smoking in public service vehicles under traffic offenses.

It is a welcome step in right direction, which would help implement the Anti-Smoking law in the jurisdiction of the district, a statement issued by TheNetwork, a civil society advocacy group working in public health and consumer protection sectors, said here on Wednesday. It is worth to mention here that Deputy Commissioner Islamabad has formally directed the traffic police to ensure the complete ban in public service transport.

“It is indeed a first drop of rain and administrative set-ups in other districts should follow this precedent so that the sensitization, prevailing in the country, on anti-smoking could be capitalized and the drives initiated by provincial and local governments against tobacco use could bear fruit”, the statement said.

An activism on the part of government is seen on anti-smoking front after the honorable Supreme Court of Pakistan has ordered provinces and center to ensure the compliance of “Prohibition of Smoking in Enclosed Place and Protection of Non-Smokers’ Health Ordinance 2002”, which remained almost unnoticed for three years.

TheNetwork statement further said that a punishment mechanism for violators of the law should be devised as well as the law needs itself to be amended so that the complaint lodging procedure could be made easier.

The statement further urged the Islamabad administration and CDA to also come up with same directives for growing ‘Sheesha Smoking’ in almost all prominent hotels and restaurants of the capital. “Bars and corners in hotels and restaurants offering Sheesha, a dangerous form of tobacco, should be closed forthwith”, it said. Ends