Pakistan

Violators of anti-smoking law arrested and fined in three cities

‘Soon people will be arrested and fined in other cities of the country too’

Sehrish Wasif February 26, 2011

ISLAMABAD: Four people were arrested in Mardan and three in Peshawar for violating the anti-smoking law. In Lahore, 37 people were fined for their violations of the law.

“This is the very first time that violators were punished according to the Anti-Smoking Ordinance 2002 since it was promulgated,” Director-General Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Yusuf Khan informed The Express Tribune.

He said some people in Mardan were hand cuffed under section 5 of the ordinance, which states that smoking is banned in public places, and were fined Rs100 each. They were arrested while smoking inside their shops.

In Lahore and Peshawar, the violators were issued “challans” under section 8 of the ordinance, which states that no person is permitted to sell cigarettes or any other smoking substance to anyone who is below the age of 18 years. They are also required to place “no-smoking” signboards in their shops.

According to Khan, the only thing lacking in the almost decade-old law was effective implementation and strict enforcement.

He said this was just the beginning as “soon people will be arrested and fined in other cities of the country too.”

“I hope people will obey anti-smoking laws to avoid being arrested or penalised just like the way people started wearing seat-belts in the capital for fear of being fined,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 26^th, 2011.

COMMENTS (2)

Dr Javaid Khan | 13 years ago | Reply I congratulate tobacco control cell Ministry of Health for taking this initiative of implementing the law.Its high time that Pakistanis do understand the hazards of seccond hand smoking.Most countries of the world have smoke free public places and smokers do follows the law.The other day I had to walk out of a famous fast food pizza chain in Karachi because they allowed smokers to smoke inside their premesis. As a chest physician working at a major teaching hospital of Karachi I see the victoms of 2nd hand smoking every day.We the non smokrs accept the right of an individual to smoke but we can not allow smokrs to make us smoke and destry our health.MAKING PUBLIC PLACES SMOKE FREE is the single most important step and country can take in order to reduce the burden of tobacco related diseases. Goverment must also stop restaurant owners from serving shisha inside their premesis. Thank you Dr Javaid Khan FRCP(Edin) Chair National Alliance for Tobacco Control

Dr javaid khan | 13 years ago | Reply I congratulate Tobacco Control Cell

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