Anti-smoking laws in Pakistan: hazy at best

Despite the approval of the Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non-smokers Health Ordinance 2002, it is yet to be implemented by the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT). As a result, most public departments and organisations in the capital do not have a proper mechanism in place to enforce anti-tobacco laws and checks on violation during duty hours, thus endangering the health of citizens by exposing them to the hazardous effects of smoking.
Thousands of people in the capital do not smoke, yet become victims of passive intake as smokers openly smoke in public places, clearly violating the law and adversely affecting the health of others, citizens complained.
Under the ordinance, no one is allowed to smoke or use tobacco in public places. The ordinance declares auditorium buildings, health institutions, amusement centres, restaurants, public offices, court buildings, cinema halls, conference and seminar halls, eating houses, hotel lounges, other waiting lounges, libraries, bus-stations, sports stadiums, educational institutions and other places as public places.
As a step towards safeguarding the health of its citizens, the ICT administration conducted a campaign against smoking on public transport. However, they failed to take action against those hotels, motels, restaurants and hospitals in the capital violating existing no-smoking zones.
Despite smoking in public places and on public transport being a punishable offence, transporters and passengers alike were observed violating the law indiscriminately. Similarly, smokers were seen openly violating the law in a majority of the restaurants, as owners had not yet established separate smoking zones on their premises.
It was learnt that the management of above mentioned public places in the capital had yet not constructed smoking zones, due to which non-smokers in these places had to cope with a lot of difficulties. Apart from hotels, educational institutions and hospitals have also made no efforts towards implementing this law by creating separate smoking zones.
Though local authorities have failed to implement the ordinance at hotels, hospitals and educational institutions, they have also not yet established smoking zones at major bus-stands of the city either. Due to the absence of smoking zones, people who do not smoke become victims of poisonous fumes too. Because of a lack of awareness and poor check by authorities, people openly smoke in public parks in the city as the authorities concerned, including the CDA, have so far launched no awareness campaign in this regard
An official of the CDA said it was the joint responsibility of the CDA and ICT, and they needed to start campaigns against this menace to raise awareness amongst the public about anti-smoking laws in order to protect people from the hazardous effects of passive and active smoking. “They need to take strict action against the management of hotels that have so far failed to set up smoking zones,” he said. Similarly, they needed to establish a special task force to control violation of the anti-smoking law on public transport, public parks and any other areas, he added. He said according to a research study, cigarette smoke contained around 4,000 chemical agents, including carbon monoxide, tar, benzene, methanol, lead, and various carcinogens. Smoke-filled rooms have up to six times the air pollution usually prevailing on a busy road. Globally, one person dies every seven seconds from smoking-related diseases, while second-hand smoke causes about 53,000 premature deaths every year. According to research studies, cigarette and shisha smoke is more lethal than atmospheric environmental pollution.
Interestingly, Pakistan signed and ratified the multi-sectoral and multidimensional Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) on May 18, 2004 and November 3, 2004, respectively. Under provisions of the FCTC, the country is required to bring its laws and policies in line with global conventions, something which still needs to be done.
Dr Waseem Khwaja, a medical officer at Pakistan Institute of Medical Science said exposure to smoking was a serious heath risk, even for passive smokers. Passive and active smoking caused lungs to contract, lung cancer and increased chances of protracting heart diseases, he said. Other health complications caused by smoking include gastric ulcers and prenatal problems, he said.