MULTAN:The first high-level Novel Tobacco Control Committee meeting was held at South Punjab Secretariat presided by Additional Chief Secretary South Punjab, Capt (R) Saqib Zafar.
The young generation was falling victim to novel tobacco which is a mix of nicotine and toxic chemicals. The use of tobacco products like electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco and nicotine pouches was causing dangerous diseases.
Secretary Services South Punjab Tanveer Iqbal Tabasum, Secretary Higher Education Aamir Aqeeq, Commissioner Multan Ashfaq Ahmad Chaudhry and Commissioner DG Khan Khalid Manzoor participated in the meeting while Commissioner Bahawalpur Raja Jahangir Anwar joined the meeting through video link.
Executive Director SSDO Syed Kausar Abbas and Sofia Mansoor briefed the meeting.
It was decided in the meeting to prepare recommendations for legislation to ban the sale of novel tobacco to start an awareness campaign in schools, colleges and universities about its harms and prepare an action plan for launching a crackdown on sellers of novel tobacco.
Additional Chief Secretary South Punjab Capt (R) Saqib Zafar, while addressing the meeting, said that the use of novel tobacco was increasing rapidly among the young generation and becoming a lifestyle and fashion.
He said that the use of drugs makes a person mentally and physically ill.
Mr Saqib Zafar said that the growing trend of novel tobacco will have dangerous consequences shortly if it didn’t be stopped.
Executive Director SSDO Kausar Abbas and Sofia Mansoor while briefing the meeting said that considering novel tobacco as harmless was a misunderstanding. The sale of novel tobacco has been banned in various countries.
Novel Tobacco was causing asthma and cancer in the young generation as Novel Tobacco was being openly sold in various stores in Pakistan in attractive packaging.
It was told in the briefing that 12 per cent of youngsters over the age of 15 years in Pakistan were addicted to novel tobacco.
It was also told in the briefing that 170,000 people die every year in Pakistan due to smoking. It was suggested in the meeting to ban the sale of all novel tobacco products immediately.