As part of its ongoing efforts to make Islamabad a model smoke free city by 2013, the federal government will launch the third phase of the project on January 1. This was stated by the Tobacco Control Cell (TCC) Project Manager Muhammad Javed while talking to The Express Tribune.
In the third phase, the anti-tobacco laws will be enforced in the capital and violators will be heavily fined. “All the public and private offices, educational institutes, restaurants, shopping malls and the airport will be made completely smoke free zones and anyone found violating the law will be heavily fined,” Javed said.
Meanwhile, the shopkeepers found selling tobacco products within the 50-metre radius of any educational institute or advertising agency will be fined Rs5,000 for the first time and if they violate the law again, they will be fined Rs10,000 and will be liable to three-year imprisonment.
However, the biggest challenge in implementing the anti-tobacco law is the lack of awareness about the law and the right to register complains against the people violating it, he observed.
The second phase of the project was launched this week under which a mass awareness campaign against tobacco use is being run on print and electronic media. The target population for the project is 1.2 million and includes slum areas as well.
Earlier in May, a District Implementation and Monitoring Committee was constituted. Representatives from various orgaisations such as Federal Board of Revenue, Islamabad Traffic Police, educational institutes, Islamabad Police, Capital Development Authority among others are active members of the committee.
In the first phase over 900 officials from these organisations was trained to work for the effective implementation of anti-tobacco law.
Official sources said last year on May 31, on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day, the TCC, then working under Ministry of Health, announced Islamabad to be a smoke free zone soon.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 19th, 2012.
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