The Punjab government is determined to implement the tobacco control law by activating the advertising committee to ban point of sale advertisement and regulating tobacco sale by registering the tobacco shops in the province. This was stated by Advisor to Chief Minister Begum Zakia Shahnawaz while speaking at an advocacy seminar on “Tobacco Deadly in Any Form or Disguise” organised by TheNetwork for Consumer Protection here at a local hotel on Wednesday.
Begum Zakia Shahnawaz called upon the people to proactively register complaints with the government if they find someone smoking at public place, office or some tobacco vendor selling cigarettes to children or around schools. DCO Lahore Noor-ul-Amin Mengal said on the occasion that crack down on sheesha is just a beginning. Tobacco control law will be enforced comprehensively in the city, he assured.
Nadeem Iqbal, Executive Co-ordinator/CEO of The Network for Consumer Protection urged the legal community to offer free help to cancer and heart patients to sue tobacco companies’ for causing death or deadly diseases. The seminar was also attended by EDO health Dr Inam ul Haq, President Lahore District Bar Association Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali, representatives of Punjab Bar Association, doctors, media and civil society members. The speakers called for strict enforcement of Prohibition of Smoking & Protection of Non-smokers Health Ordinance 2002 and Pakistan Tobacco Vendors Act 1958.
Law is not talking about oral taking tobacco like NASWAR which is more dangerous than smoking. Gutka is also dangerous thhan Smoking.