Pakistan: Citizens Demand Implementation of Tobacco Control Laws

Source from:  Daily Times (pk)  01/14/2013

Citizens on Friday stressed the need for effective implementation of the tobacco control laws across the country and for curtailing the sale of smuggled, duty-non-paid, and non-compliant tobacco products.

Citizens asked the authorities concerned to make proper strategies to prevent the sale of tobacco to minors.

Expressing dismay over flagrant disregard of the anti-tobacco laws, the citizens said that effective on-ground implementation of the regulations would serve the purpose of tobacco control.

They said that sincere efforts were needed to prevent the spread of tobacco use as smoking at indoor public places, tobacco product advertising and promotion, printing of pictorial health warnings on packets and availability of duty-evaded and attractive looking smuggled brands in the market were still widespread.

According to available data, more than 15 billion smuggled and duty-non-paid cigarettes were sold annually in the country.

Citizens complained that this illicit trade not only causes annual loss of more than Rs 10 billion to the national exchequer, but also undermines the public health agenda as these tobacco products fail to comply with the regulations issued by the government.

"Most of these packs do not even carry the Urdu health warning while the regulations prohibiting consumer promotions are also being blatantly violated," they added.

An official said that in line with the spirit of Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the government has already enacted various tobacco control measures through the Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non-Smokers Health Ordinance 2002.

The said law contains provisions restricting smoking at public places, restricting advertising and promotion of tobacco products and prohibiting sale of cigarettes to minors.

He said that Pakistan is the 5th country in Asia, and the 26th country in the entire world, which had introduced pictorial health warnings on cigarette packs under the 'Cigarette Printing of Warning Ordinance, 2002'.  Enditem