ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) has declared Super Market and Jinnah Super as well as Kohsar Block of the Pakistan Secretariat as no-smoking areas under the Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non-smokers Health Ordinance 2022.

“In case of violation, smokers will be fined up to Rs 100,000… We have also decided to take the Chief Commissioner Office on board and impose fine over violations in both markets,” Director General Health Dr Baseer Khan Achakzai said while talking to Dawn.

Kohsar Block houses a number of ministries’ offices, including the health ministry. Dr Achakzai said that smoking had been banned in public transport and all the parks of the federal capital. “Now we have been considering strictly implementing the ban in offices and we have a feeling that people will not stop smoking in offices unless heavy fines would be imposed on them,” he said.

Dr Achakzai, while addressing the participants of the orientation meeting for implementation of tobacco control laws conducted at Kohsar Block, stated that each year nearly 8 million lives were tragically lost due to tobacco-related illnesses, with more than 1.2 million of those deaths affecting non-smokers who breathe in second-hand smoke.

“Astonishingly, over 80pc of these preventable deaths occur in low and middle-income countries,” he said in a statement.

“In Pakistan alone, we witness the devastating impact of tobacco use, claiming the lives of 166,000 individuals annually. This is a stark reminder of the urgent need for robust tobacco control measures to safeguard the health and well-being of our citizens.”

“As evidence has consistently shown that increasing tobacco excise taxes and prices is one of the most effective and cost-effective measures for reducing tobacco use, particularly among young people and low-income populations,” he said, urging the government to increase duties on cigarettes.

“I am glad to announce that the World Health Organisation’s Secretariat of Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) recognised in 2020 the Smoke-Free Cities efforts internationally by displaying the snapshot of Rose and Jasmine Public Park on the title page of its annual report,” he said.

“Let us be persistent in our pursuit of a healthier future for our nation, where the menace of tobacco is subdued, and the well-being of our people takes precedence. Together, we can overcome the challenges posed by tobacco consumption and build a stronger, healthier, and more resilient Pakistan,” Dr Achakzai said.

Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2023