Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner (DC) Muhammad Ali has issued directives to make the tourist city of Murree a no-smoking zone.
The official said this while chairing a District Tobacco Control Implementation Committee meeting, in which he insisted that immediate steps be taken to ensure that Murree becomes and remains free from tobacco smoke.
Murree is a popular hill station that receives visitors from all over the country, hence it is imperative for a ‘Smoke-Free Murree’ to set an example that will eventually reflect a ‘Smoke-Free Pakistan’, said the DC.
He said that all other tehsils of Rawalpindi would also follow suit, thereby making the district the first one in Pakistan to be free from tobacco smoke.
Under the ‘Tobacco Smoke-Free Cities of Pakistan’ project, orders have been issued to install ‘No Smoking’ signboards outside schools and colleges in Rawalpindi.
The same will be implemented in all government offices, healthcare centres, hotels, restaurants, cafeterias, dhabas, courts, conference halls, public transport vehicles, stadiums, recreational places etc. Anyone found violating the directives will face legal proceedings.
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Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination Director Tobacco Control Dr Samra Mazhar said that every year, more than 150,000 people die from the adverse effects of smoking tobacco. She added that taking the right steps will prevent similar deaths in future.
As per the law, shops in the entire district are prohibited from selling cigarettes to anyone under 18 years of age, and it is mandatory for them to install relevant signboards in plain view.
Similarly, it is forbidden to sell, distribute and stock cigarettes within a 50m distance from schools and colleges.
Additional Deputy Commissioner and Tobacco Control Implementation Committee Rawalpindi Cell Head Qasim Ijaz also addressed the meeting, saying that the district administration has joined hands with the Government of Pakistan to establish ‘Quit Smoking Clinics’ that will be inaugurated soon.
These clinics are being set up at the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital and the Holy Family Hospital, and will be a great resource for those willing to quit smoking by making the process easier through treatment and guidance.
He added that consumption of tobacco is a major cause of at least 18 types of cancer, heart diseases, heart attacks and many more ailments. It also increases the chances of developing lung cancer by 20-30 per cent.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 11th, 2021.
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