ISLAMABAD: A draft bill tabled last year that would ban tobacco product advertisements, even by tobacco retailers inside shops, will be laid before the Senate on Monday.

However, civil society representatives who helped draft the bill have asked the upper house to reject it, arguing that it lost its effectiveness after input from the tobacco industry. They have also praised the prime minister for opposing the bill.

The Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non-Smokers Health (Amendment) Bill 2016 was tabled by Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed from the PML-Q.

Senate body’s suggestions prioritise tobacco industry’s interests, critics say

The upper house referred the bill to the Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services (NHS), which then referred it to a subcommittee chaired by Senator Nauman Wazir. During the subcommittee’s hearings, tobacco companies were also asked to give their input, and the attention of the hearings remained mainly on smuggled cigarettes rather than tobacco product advertisements.

The head of The Network for Consumer Protection, Nadeem Iqbal, who helped draft the bill, said the main thrust of the amendment to the existing tobacco law was to ban tobacco advertisements inside shops that attract children.

“However, the Senate committee the amendment was referred to in its report took pains to defend the tobacco industry,” he said.

“The committee has suggested that the ban on interior displays will deprive retailers dealing in tobacco products of their right to carry out a legitimate business. It has also suggested that the ban on advertising would hamper the consumer’s right to freedom of choice.”

The ground reality is different, he argued. He referenced a survey conducted by The Network in six cities, which revealed that 83pc of shops have powerwalls or cigarettes behind the cash counter, 52pc have cigarettes inside glass counters, 50pc place cigarettes with snacks, 14pc of shops have ‘limited time offers’ and free gifts on the purchase of cigarettes, and 89pc do not display signs stating no sales to minors.

The Coalition for Tobacco Control Pakistan (CTC-Pak) has also expressed serious reservations about the bill.

CTC-Pak National Coordinator Khurram Hashmi said the bill has become controversial because it lost its essence. He said it was ironic and unfortunate that the people’s representatives, who pledge to serve the people, defended the tobacco industry instead of ensuring good national health.

“We demand that the members of the committee retain and pass the bill in its original form. We hope Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed will defend the bill as per his commitment to protect our youth from exposure to tobacco products. Dissecting the bill to accommodate the interests of the tobacco industry will greatly jeopardise the decade-long efforts by tobacco control advocates and actions taken by the government in this regard,” he said.

An official statement issued by The Network said that as a signatory to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control – binding on all member states with the World Health Organisation – banning advertisements of tobacco products was one of the major steps every country has to take, in addition to increasing taxation and banning tobacco use in public places.

Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2017