Citizens have urged the managements of hotels, restaurants and international food chains in the federal capital to properly implement anti-tobacco laws. They said the owners should also stop allocating designated areas for smokers in hotels and restaurants premises to allow them using cigarettes, pipes, cigars and sheesha. They said smoking in any form was totally banned in all places of public work or use, including hotels and restaurants under Section 2 of Prohibition of smoking and protection of non-smokers health ordinance 2002. The citizens said the concerned authorities should ask the hotel managements to implement such anti-tobacco laws to protect the health of non-smokers, as there was no permission of allocating designated areas for smokers. They said the concerned body should write a letter to Pakistan Hotels Association and Pakistan Food Association and ask them to ensure completely ban on any form of smoking in the premises of hotels, restaurants and international food chains. When contacted, an official said that there was a plan to create awareness in citizens regarding negative effects of smoking and educating them about the tobacco control laws for proper implementation. He said local authorities have been asked to educate the citizens about such laws and stop open use of tobacco in public places and offices besides implementing tobacco control laws in departments, including educational institutions and offices. He said the country’s airports had removed designated areas for smokers and no one was allowed to smoke there, while such steps had also been taken by Pakistan Railways.
