Haripur bans sale of e-cigarettes and vapes as part of 90-day anti-nicotine crackdown

Sale of these products, promotion and advertisement through media platforms also banned.

Deputy Commissioner Haripur Shoaib Abbas Tuesday has imposed a ban on e-cigarettes, vapes, and related nicotine products in Haripur district.

The ban, effective from September 6, 2024, will remain in place for 90 days under Section 144.

The district administration has imposed the restrictions including the E-cigarettes, vapes, and nicotine products are banned from use in public transport and public spaces.

Promotion of e-cigarettes, vapes, and nicotine through media platforms and the display of related pamphlets on walls and vehicles is forbidden. The sale of these products is prohibited for individuals under 21 years of age.

E-cigarettes, vapes, and nicotine cannot be stored or sold within a 100-meter radius of schools, colleges, hospitals, and public parks.

Earlier today, the Sindh government has imposed a ban on the sale of items commonly used in the consumption of drugs, in a bid to curb narcotics use across the province.

Following instructions from Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, Karachi’s commissioner issued a notification enforcing Section 144, which prohibits the sale of wooden, acrylic, glass, stone, plastic, and ceramic pipes, roach clips, chillums, bongs, and marijuana pipes.

Station House Officers (SHOs) at local police stations are authorised to register cases against violators under Section 188 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

Meanwhile, the Senate Standing Committee on Science and Technology on Monday approved the country’s first-ever Cannabis Authority Bill after a delay of over four years due to disputes between ministries over its jurisdiction.

The discord over the bill was even witnessed during a meeting of the committee as its chairman Senator Kamil Ali Agha stressed the need for a thorough examination of each clause before proceeding, while Senators Dr Afnan Ullah Khan, Musadik Masood Malik, and Nasir Mehmood demanded it be passed without further review.

PTI Senator Shibli Faraz, a former minister for science and technology, said he had supervised the initial drafting of the bill and was aware of its intricacies, and warned that he would submit a dissenting note if the bill was passed without due consideration.