The Punjab government still lacks effective implementation and strict enforcement of Anti-smoking Ordinance 2002 despite the lapse of one decade of its promulgation across the province.
“The present Punjab government envisaged an idea of Smoking-free Lahore three years ago but this idea was dropped by the government itself owing of absence of health minister and lethargic attitude of the officials of the Health Department,” sources told Pakistan Today.
Due to the failure of anti-smoking law sale of cigarettes to underage smokers is also on the rise in the city while smokers can be seen everywhere puffing cigarettes in government and private offices, parks, public places including train and bus terminals with impunity. The situation is getting worse in educational institutions where the ratio of smoking cigarettes and sheesha is increasing among the students. The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has expressed its serious concerns over the failure of anti-smoking laws in educational premises.
“While on the other hand the Health Department is in dilemma on how to execute the Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non Smokers Health Ordinance 2002 as the department could not develop effective coordination with other provincial departments including environment, food, education and police ,” the sources privy to Health Department claims.
The sources further said in order to make anti-smoking law effective, the District Committees for Tobacco Control (DCTC) were established in all districts of the province under the head of District Coordination Officer (DCO) but despite the establishment of DCTCs no violator of the anti-smoking law has been arrested so far. “In February 2011, first time 37 people were fined in Lahore since implementation of Anti-Smoking Ordinance 2002 and still the concerned departments’ heads are not in favour of imposing fine or arresting violators as they are focusing on creating awareness about the hazards of smoking among the masses,” he said adding that in a recent meeting held in February 16, it was also decided that an awareness drive be launched in educational and government institutions. “Again DCTC Head and Lahore DCO Ahad Cheema was absent from this meeting with the excuse that he was busy and the meeting ended with a plan of launching awareness campaign,” he added.
The sources also pointed out non-seriousness of the Punjab government with regards to anti-smoking drive that the Punjab Health Ministry representatives put a plan of ‘Smoke-free Lahore’ in a conference held in Cairo three years ago organised by World Health Organization (WHO). Bloomberg funds were approved for this plan but the provincial Health Ministry did not bother to pursue this financial assistance and ultimately it was dropped. The sources further said it was decided in 2008 that the Health Department, WHO and HED would conduct lecturers on hazards of smoking in educational institutions as it was found that a large number of students were indulging in smoking cigarettes and sheesha. “The results were pathetic as public especially students are well aware of dangerous of smoking and smoking could be controlled only when violators will be either fined or arrested on the spot,” he said according to the data available with the department, the ratio of smoking is also increasing in medical colleges and it showed that educating students who were already aware of the hazards of smoking was nothing but a waste of time.
An official in HEC, asking not to be named, told Pakistan Today that the failure in implementing the anti-smoking law badly hit the educational institutions in Lahore. He said the HEC had highlighted private elite colleges and universities where male and female students smoked cigarette and sheesha. He said HEC wrote a lot of times to the heads of these institutions but practice of addiction could not be decreased as smoking addiction was considered to be a fashion. He said HEC was conducting lectures along with WHO and Health Ministry on hazards of smoking at the National College of Arts (NCA), Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS),
Fast-National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences (Fast-NUCES), Beacon house National University (BNU), Government College University (GCU), Kinnaird College (KC), Forman Christian College University (FCCU), Lahore College for Women University (LCWU) and the Punjab University (PU).
NOBODY TO SHOULDER RESPONSIBILITY: Talking to Pakistan Today, Health Executive District Officer (EDO) Dr Capt (r) Inamul Haq said DCTC had finalised a comprehensive strategy to ensure smoking free health centres, government offices and public places across the provincial capital through implementation of anti-smoking laws. He said the Health Department could only issue circulars to different departments for implementing of anti-smoking laws and it was the responsibility of the Environment Department to arrest or impose fine on violators with the support of police. He said it was also decided to bring NGOs, transport and cinemas organisations and civil society to table against hazards of smoking in Lahore. Environment Protection Department (EPD) Punjab focal person Naseemur Rehman said the Environment Department had nothing to do with the implementation of Anti-Smoking Ordinance 2002 as this law came under the domain of the Health Department. He said it was not the EPD’s duty to arrest or to impose fine on violators since they were not authorised.
“The Environment Department can help the Health Department in awareness campaign only,” he added. WHO focal person Shahzad Alam talking to Pakistan Today said an awareness campaign was being launched in Lahore about the hazards of smoking among the masses and lack of funds was a major reason of slow drive in the country. He said WHO was providing technical assistance to Health Department and they were also managing lectures in educational institutions to educate students.
“Seminars are also being organised at different level to create awareness among the people with NGOs and other stakeholders,” he added.
RISKS: Dr Afzal Cheema told Pakistan Today said tobacco use was not only capable of damaging nearly every organ of the human body but also caused at least 15 different cancers and is single-handedly responsible for 30 percent of all cancer related deaths. He said the number of cases of lung cancers, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and myocardial infarction were increasing since the raise of cigarettes in the city.
PROPOSED PUNISHMENTS: According to different clauses of Anti-Smoking Law, the government can impose fine up to Rs 1,000 for smoking at public place, transport vehicles and failure of the owner or manager of a premise to display a ‘No Smoking’ sign at a prominent place. Second, third and subsequent violation could cause imposition of fine up to Rs 100,000. Sale of cigarettes to minors, sale and storage in the immediate vicinity of educational institutions and advertisement of tobacco products in violation of guidelines could cause imposition of fine up to Rs 5,000.
Second, third or subsequent violation could cause imposition of fine up to Rs 100,000 or three month imprisonment or both.
