April 8, 2003	Tuesday	Safar 5, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, April 7: The federal minister for health, Nasir Khan, has said the Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non-Smokers Health Ordinance, 2002 will be enforced from May 31, the international non-smoking day.

Speaking at a Press conference here on Monday, the minister said the government had constituted a committee, comprising NGOs, people from tobacco industry and other stakeholders, to find ways to make effective the written warning on the cigarette packets.

President Pervez Musharraf on October 15, 2002 promulgated the Ordinance to stop smoking at public places, which also banned tobacco advertisement on media as well as public transport.

To a question, the federal minister said the law also imposed a fine upto Rs1,000, which could be extended to Rs100,000 in case of violating the law the second time. As far as the punishment is concerned, it can be three-month rigorous imprisonment.

He said with the increasing awareness about smoking hazards, western societies were trying to get rid of this habit, therefore, the tobacco industry was now focusing on third word countries.

“It is only the people in general, who can counter the onslaught of western companies.”

In Norway, the people can smoke only on the roads, the minister said, adding unfortunately, in recent conference held under the auspices of World Health Organization in Cairo, Pakistan was named as ashtray in this part of the world.

Giving a message on World Health Day, he said “Today is the day when we as a nation should have to express our commitment to provide healthy environment for children at home, in school and elsewhere”.

The minister said, at present 60 million children in the country fell under the age of 15 and were the future builders.

He said every year in Pakistan, 250,000 children die due to water-related ailments and prone to get numerous diseases spread through environmental factors.

He said, the government had initiated several child health care programmes, which included the expanded programme on immunisation, acute respiratory infections, diarrheal diseases control programme, integrated management of childhood illness project etc.

The minister said, these projects would help reduce the infant mortality rate. He said the government had also promulgated an ordinance —- Protection of Breast Feeding and Child Nutrition 2002.

APP ADDS: Mohammad Nasir Khan said the ministry was taking steps to reduce drug prices.

He said a committee had been constituted, which was conducting a survey of prices, manufacturing cost, raw material import, packing and existing price mechanism.

He said the drug prices should be rationalized in order to protect consumers as well as the manufacturers so that both should be comfortable by avoiding any untoward tension.

He strongly denied that drugs prices were higher in Pakistan as compared to India. More than 65 drugs in Pakistan produced by multi-nationals were being sold on less prices as compared to India, he said.

The Ministry plans to observe a Smoking Control Week during the month of May in connection with World No Tobacco Day, he added.

A National Advocacy Conference on Smoking Control will be organized during the last week of April, he said. Purpose of the conference will be to bring the Smoking Control Programme high on the agenda of the government, he added.

Another objective will be to get support of policy makers for effective implementation of the “Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non Smokers Ordinance 2002”, he said.