World No Tobacco Day: Call to endorse ban on underage selling

Awareness walk taken out from GPO Chowk to DCO office.

ABBOTABAD:

Speakers at an awareness walk called for endorsing the ban on selling tobacco products to underage children and to impose a ban on shisha smoking.

The awareness walk was taken out to observe World No Tobacco Day on Thursday and was participated in large by officials of civic society organisations, students and teachers. Arranged by the district chapter of Tobacco Control, the walk started from General Post Office (GPO) Chowk and culminated at the District Coordination Officers’ (DCO) office after treading along a number of avenues across the city.

In his address, Assistant Coordination Officer Shahid Mehmood said that though the sale of tobacco products to children under 18 years of age is banned, the district administration is taking “all-out efforts” to make sure that the ban is implemented. He expressed concern over the rising trend of shisha smoking among teenagers, saying it is “worrisome”. He said that since shisha smoking is another health risk, the district administration is mulling over launching a crackdown against cafes where the facility is offered.

District Coordinator Tobacco Control Asad Khan Jadoon talked about the adverse affects of tobacco smoking on people’s health and on the environment. He demanded a ban on shisha smoking and strict compliance to the ban on sale of tobacco products to children under 18.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 1^st, 2012.