Health ministry asked to implement anti-smoking laws
The Ministry of Health has been asked to implement the prohibition of smoking and protection of non-smokers health ordinance in true spirit.
Citizens complained that though the government had withdrawn Statutory Rules and Orders (SRO) on smoking in designated areas, however the concerned laws are still being violated. According to them, the said SRO was withdrawn in order to protect the health of non-smokers and making the smokers abiders of the concerned laws, but there is no such implementing body to check the violation of such laws, they added.
They said, after withdrawal of SRO all public and work places have been declared smoke free and smokers couldn’t smoke or use tobacco in any other form in any place of public work.However, they complained that smokers are still smoking in public places and offices while many public and private organizations and departments have allocated designated areas for smokers which is against the concerned laws.
Similarly, most drivers of public vehicles in twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad are openly using the cigarettes without realizing its negative effects on passengers’ health, which is also clear violation of anti-smoking laws.
Dr. Wasim Khawaja of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), said that non-smokers who are exposed to second-hand smoke at home, workplaces or any public places have increased risk of developing lung cancer and other health complications.
It is pertinent to mention here that the government through a notification withdrawing SRO on designated smoking areas had totally banned smoking in any place of public work to protect the health of non-smokers. Prior to this decision, all public and private offices were allowed to designate a separate place for smokers to smoke within office premises with adequate arrangements to protect the health of non-smokers.
The decision of issuing SRO was made, as such permission was being misused as it had become a practice that smokers were using places in offices other than designated areas. Similarly, getting advantage of the permission of smoking in designated areas individuals and offices were clearly violating the ordinance that resulted in harmful effects on non-smokers.
Under the concerned anti-smoking laws, the government has declared some places of public work as no tobacco use places including hospitals, dispensaries, and other health care establishments, educational institutions, offices, conference rooms, all domestic flights, restaurants, buses, wagons, trains, indoor stadiums, gymnasiums, lounges of airports, waiting rooms at railway stations and waiting rooms at bus stations.
When contacted, an official of Ministry of Health’s Tobacco Control Cell said that SRO withdrawal would help cell to have strict check on law violators with the support of public and concerned departments.
October 20, 2009 Thenews
