ISLAMABAD: Provinces have started following ‘Smoke-Free Islamabad Model on Tobacco Control’, and Faisalabad district of Punjab took the lead by declaring the Bagh-e-Jinnah as a smoke free park to enforce the anti-smoking policy in public places.
Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) Smoke-Free project Project Director Dr Minhaj-us-Siraj, while sharing the working plan for the project, said that the project was starting in five selected major districts of Punjab, out of which Faisalabad took the lead in this regard.
He said that the Punjab health department had taken effective steps in regard to tobacco control and appreciated the specific directions issued to all district governments banning the use of tobacco products in public.
He pledged to extend all support for conducting trainings at district government offices and mass awareness campaigns for all segments of the society.
Faisalabad Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Aftab said that it was a “different task” to implement Tobacco Control Laws and indeed a “difficult one” as the departments concerned concentrated their enforcement campaigns against a socially accepted evil. The district government of Faisalabad considered this as a prime responsibility due to the colossal damage it caused to the health of the general population, he added.
The first coordination meeting of District Implementation and Coordination Committee (DIMC) on Tobacco Control was attended by senior district officers of health, education, social welfare, horticulture, excise, traffic police and other relevant departments. Dr. Jaffar Hussain Mubarak, a well-known literary and social figure, represented the Civil Society on the occasion.
He validated the success of Smoke-Free Islamabad Project and vowed to follow the model in letter and spirit, within the territorial limits of Faisalabad district. As a first step, he ordered the horticulture authority to declare Bagh-e-Jinnah in Faisalabad as a complete smoke-free park.
Dr Minhaj-us-Siraj said that the CADD had sensibly pitched efforts towards dengue control under the guidance of CADD secretary, adding that this year, dengue fever epidemic was well within control.
Similarly, he said that focused efforts on tobacco control at CADD have created a successful role model for provincial health departments to follow, which were valued by the Punjab government.
