Health awareness: ‘Government must play role to prevent tobacco use’

Health ministry apprises Senate panel on regulations to prohibit sale of loose cigarettes

ISLAMABAD: A draft of a regulation to prohibit the sale of loose cigarettes was prepared and sent to lawmakers on Wednesday as health ministry officials apprised the Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services Regulations and Coordination.

The measure comes in the wake of a revelation by the health ministry that 7.2 per cent of students smoke some form of tobacco and 3.3 per cent smoke cigarettes in schools and colleges.

Previously, the committee had made the recommendation that a ban should be placed on the sale of loose cigarettes via the issuance of a statutory regulatory order. The proposal was based on the findings that one of the main reasons for tobacco smoking is the utility to buy a handful of cigarettes from shops.



During the meeting, the committee was informed by the ministry that the draft of the regulation had been prepared and is in the final stages of approval.

NGO report denied

Furthermore, the ministry responded to the findings of a report by the South Asia Strategic Stability Institute (SASSI) in October 2016 that claimed that 44 to 53 per cent of students in elite private schools in the federal capital were addicted to various drugs by claiming it was exaggerated and needed to
be verified.

Similarly, the ministry has also written letters to the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) and Higher Education Commission (HEC) for verification and to take measures to keep a check on the practice.

Committee Chairman Senator Sajjad Hussain Turi said that the use of drugs and tobacco among the youth is ruining the future of the country.

Turi added that concerned government institutions must play their role and must take all necessary measures for the prevention of tobacco and drug use.

He directed the Islamabad chief commissioner, the FDE and the HEC to brief the committee during the next meeting on measures to kerb indulgence in such vices.

The committee chairman highlighted the dire need to take action against the nongovernmental organisations that created a scare by misreporting that 90 per cent of students in educational institutions are smokers.

Senator Muhammad Ateeq Shaikh said the news had worried parents.

Additionally, the health ministry apprised the committee that 82 per cent of cigarette sales are legal, while 18 per cent are illegal, according to a secret report by the FBR (Federal Bureau of Revenue)

Moreover, the committee made the recommendation to ask PEMRA to ask electronic media to devote 10 per cent of their airtime for awareness of the health hazards of consuming tobacco.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 5^th, 2017.