Smoking gets ‘capital punishment’
ISLAMABAD – Hill View hotel in Jinnah Super Market has been inaugurated as first tobacco smoke-free facility to make “Tobacco Smoke-Free Islamabad”.
A signboard is installed having text “This is a tobacco smoke-free facility”.
The Capital Administration and Development Division (CA&DD) developed tobacco smoke-free policy for public places to make Islamabad tobacco smoke-free. Whereas, the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration is working on enforcement of tobacco control laws with letter and spirit towards tobacco smoke-free Capital. More than 30 public places have been registered for adopting tobacco smoke-free policy of CA&DD, including various hotels and restaurants; schools and government offices till to date. This is an enormous achievement towards Tobacco-Smoke Free Islamabad.
The CA&DD, under Strengthening Tobacco-Smoke Free Islamabad Initiative, has produced information, education and communication material for public awareness. All the ICT departments have arranged numerous orientation sessions with the District health office, Directorate of social welfare and Directorate of Health Services. Documentary film and instructional videos have been made for hotels and restaurants staff, Bazaar unions, transporters and traders for effective enforcement. The CADD is also encouraging youth and non-smokers to stand up to their right to breathe healthy air. More than 500 stickers are pasted inside shops in Jinnah Super Market in this regard and in compliance of section-10 of Ordinance. Signage activities were also conducted in the last few months. More than 300 public places are covered by No-Smoking signboards.
The ICT Division registered 54 cases on violation of section-5, 8, 9 and 10 of Ordinance and an amount of Rs70,000 have been recovered in terms of fines, collectively.
In another enforcement activity, on special instructions of Additional Deputy Commissioner ICT Maryam Khan, a special team raided a restaurant, Baskin Chalet in Sector F-6/4, and arrested 21 persons for smoking sheesha and violation of tobacco control laws at public places. A case has also been registered against the restaurant’s administration.