PESHAWAR: The Cigarette-manufacturers are out to block the passage of a law, aiming to ban smoking, from the provincial assembly, according to sources.

The draft law was presented in the provincial assembly last week.

Health Minister Shahram Tarakai said that he had sent the law the assembly. “It is now up to the assembly to approve it under normal procedure,” he added.

Sources say bill likely to be put in cold storage

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Prohibition of Smoking/Tobacco Products and Protection of Non-Smokers Health Bill, 2016 prohibits use of tobacco at public places, its sale near educational institutes and promotional activities by the makers to safeguard non-smokers against its potential effects on health.

“It [the law] can face delay,” said sources. They added that the law was likely to be referred to a select committee to put it in cold storage.

“The multinational companies are so powerful and they have started campaign to obstruct passage of the law and safeguard their business interests,” sources said.

They said that the law was very important because tobacco was one of the known preventable causes of cancer in the world.

Source said that being signatory to WHO’s International Health Regulations, it was obligatory for Pakistan to implement law against use of tobacco.

They said that voices were being raised against the law.

“It is a comprehensive law, prepared with the technical assistance of World Health Organisation,” they added.

The WHO wants passage of the law to prevent tobacco-related diseases among people. After passage of18th Amendment, the provinces are required to have their own legislations.

“Had we wanted to block the bill, we wouldn’t have sent it to assembly for approval. The health department has sent the bill to the assembly. The law was drafted in the light of instructions issued by Supreme Court of Pakistan,” said the health minister.

The draft law bans promotional advertisements such as sponsorship, sampling, display audio, visual and uses of brand names, stickers, symbol, logos and colours on non-tobacco merchandise to reduce its consumption and enable the people to live a healthy life.

According to the law, the violators will be fined and jailed. Sources said that lawmakers in the 124-member provincial assembly were not in the habit of debating important health-related laws.

The provincial legislators including ministers were said to be associated with tobacco-growing and cigarette- manufacturing in the province, they said.

Sources said that protesting farmers were also criticising the law without taking account of the ill-effects caused by tobacco.

The growers want the government to consult them about a technical law approved by WHO.

The law will make auditoriums, buildings, health institutions, recreation centres, restaurants, public offices, court buildings, cinema halls, conference rooms, seminar halls, hotel lounges, waiting lounges, libraries, bus stations, sports stadiums, educational institutions, playgrounds, parks, public transport vehicles and aeroplanes free of tobacco in the province.

Sources said the law was too harsh for tobacco-manufactures as it prohibited retailers from sale of buyers below the age of 18 years.

Under the law, use of cigarettes, cigar, sheesha (with or without smoke) will be banned at public places.

The law doesn’t allow any smoking zone anywhere at public places.

Published in Dawn, October 10th, 2016