Smoke-free: Islamabad Authorities fail to enforce anti-tobacco laws

Govt had set target to make capital smoke-free by 2013 but failed to enforce laws.

ISLAMABAD:

Efforts to make public places in Islamabad smoke-free still remain in the doldrums, mainly due to the half-hearted attempts by health authorities and law enforcement agencies.

The federal government had set a target to make the capital a smoke-free city by 2013, but it failed to fully enforce anti-tobacco laws.

An official at the Ministry of National Health, Services, Regulations and Coordination (MNHSRC), asking not to be named, said, “Law enforcement agencies were preoccupied with security issues for the last year, due to which the set target could not be achieved.”

In the last six months, a total of 70 cases were registered against violators in the capital and 10 sheesha bars were fined Rs300,000 each in the last three months, he said.

During the same period, while taking notice of various violations of “The Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non-Smokers Ordinance 2002”, the health ministry also issued show-cause notices to various cigarette manufacturers, the official claimed.

During monitoring, various violations including promotional boards outside shops, free sampling, and consumer incentive schemes by cigarette companies were found, he said.

“They have been strictly asked to stop such promotional activities and submit written replies as to why legal action should not be initiated against them,” said the official.

The official said that effective implementation of the anti-tobacco laws faced a major setback after the devolution of the health ministry under the 18th Amendment.

Besides this, all activities of enforcing the anti-tobacco laws were being carried out under the “Bloomberg Project”, which was limited to 20 districts, he said.

“Currently, none of the provinces have formulated their own anti-tobacco laws. They are following the federal laws. This calls for an urgent need to have a national plan to curb violations,” he said.

To curb violations of advertising regulations, the health ministry approved new guidelines on December 31, 2013 which will take effect from May 31, 2014.

Under these new guidelines, advertisements of tobacco products in print media, electronic media, cinema, theatres, branding on garments, posters or banners fixed outside shops, kiosks, billboards or mobile trolleys will not be allowed.

When contacted, Bloomberg Project Coordinator Muhammad Javed said the plan to make Islamabad a smoke-free city was under way and hopefully it will be completed by the end of the year. Strict actions are being taken against violators, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 18^th, 2014.