Despite implementation of existing law "Protection of non smoking ordinance 2002" to stay away underage youth from tobacco smoking, a newly proposed practice of increasing Graphical Health Warning (GHW) up to 85 percent may promote other health hazard substitutes like Sheesha, paper tobacco and some smuggled brands of cigarette in young community.
Experts said that all educational institutions including primary, secondary and higher secondary schools, similarly all colleges dealing with subject of social sciences, medical Science, Engineering, Agriculture, textile and private and public sector universities as well, have strictly prohibited to smoke in premises. The weakened grip of law enforcement agencies appears to have failed to enforce no-smoking laws, which ultimately is seen as the reason to promote and encourage the youth and other aging sectors the use of tobacco products.
Another important reason, which may cause the encouragement of Tobacco use in underage youth particularly, is an easy availability of international non-duty paid brands in the market selling out on cheap prices. The issue of underage smoking is not a legal or a quantum problem but no enforcement and implementation of existing laws by concerned authorities seemed a major reason for promotion of smoking among underage youth.
Health experts believed that introducing laws like increasing the size of health warnings on cigarette packs up to 85% may not help to address this serious matter, which may cause to put the lives of underage youth on risk. It is witnessed that the news about the recent proposal by health ministry shifting from 40 percent to 85 percent pictorial warning on experimental basis has increased not only the consumption of smuggled cigarette's brands like pine and others available in lesser price but also the use of Sheesha and paper Tobacco has been increased among underage youth.
In 2011, a set of laws were introduced by the Government of Pakistan through The Prohibition of Sales to Minors Rules 2010. It became compulsory in 2011 for every cigarette retailer to display a No-Under 18 sale warning sign in a prominent place behind the cash counter in his shop. A health expert from Islamabad, Dr Mugheera Shah expressing her views over the said issue said that every citizen of the country who was a teenager in the 80's can, without skipping a beat, narrate the cigarette health warning that used to run on television screens before every program, 'Smoking is injurious for health: Health Ministry' and yet they continue to smoke. This makes one question the effectiveness of such warnings.
In addition to such public media warnings, Pakistan made it compulsory to print health warnings on cigarette packs back in 1979. In 2010, the textual health warning was changed and it was mandated to print a gruesome image on cigarette packs. Moreover, the size of health warning was increased to 40% of the size of the cigarette pack. Euro barometer's survey revealed that none of the respondents in the survey considered cigarette pack as an influence in the decision to smoke, even after being prompted. The results suggest that before a young person reaches the first cigarette pack, lot of other life experiences and influences have already led that person to the decision to start smoking.
A legal expert, Aamra Batool said that the law prohibiting sale of cigarettes to under-age dates back to The West Pakistan Juvenile Smoking Ordinance 1959, which is still applicable. She maintained that 1959 law any cigarette retailer who violates the law and sells cigarettes to under-age people has to suffer fine and imprisonment. It also allows suspending business license of that cigarette retailer. Law that is directly relevant to the issue and ban sale of cigarettes to underage is more than 55 years old, awaiting enforcement, she added.
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