RAWALPINDI, Nov 21: The City District Government, Rawalpindi (CDGR) will launch a crackdown on Sheesha Cafés in the district after Muharram 10.

The decision was taken at a meeting of District Tobacco Control Committee here on Wednesday with District Coordination Officer (DCO) Saqib Zafar in the chair.

The meeting was attended by federal government’s coordinator on tobacco control Dr. Aftab Ahmed, Executive District Officer (Health) Dr Zafar Iqbal Gondal and other high ranking police and local government officials.

It was decided in the meeting that Tobacco Control Committee will be formed at tehsil level to discourage smoking at public places and sale of tobacco to underage children and teenagers.

The federal government’s coordinator on tobacco control Dr Aftab Ahmed informed the meeting that ban on smoking at public places had reduced the sale of Tobacco Companies by 10 per cent.

He said the district administration had to take action against the Sheesha Cafés after they were informed that they were using liquor instead of water in Sheshas and both tobacco and liquor were injurious to health.

He said that Shesha smokers inhaled up to 150 times more tobacco in a single session than a cigarette. It caused lungs diseases, cancer and the flavoured smoking is many a time more harmful to health than a simple cigarette, he said.

The DCO directed the Rawal and Potohar towns administrations to identify the areas where Shesha Cafés were located.

He said that health department and District Food Controller in collaboration with local police would raid these cafés after Muharram 10.

While talking to Dawn, DCO Saqib Zafar said that after Muharram 10, the CDGR would fix a day to observe anti-tobacco day each year at local level.

The walks and seminars will be arranged on this day to create awareness among the residents of the city of the problems of tobacco, he said.