Government urged to impose ban on e-cigarettes

Mailsi: The National Tobacco Control Policy should be approved and e-cigarettes should be completely banned.  These views were expressed by Sadiq Ali Mirza District Anti-Narcotics Control Committee Vehari.  Considering the enormous dangers of vaping and e-cigarettes, civil society organizations demand a complete ban on e-cigarettes.  In the meeting, he further said that the federal government has legalized e-cigarettes in Pakistan through an SRO that e-cigarettes are also classified as tobacco products and their use poses a risk of increasing various types of diseases.  E-cigarette use causes increased heart rate and blood pressure, as well as airway obstruction, and hypertension.  Moreover, the use of e-cigarettes may increase the risk of developing cancer.  According to the recommendations of the World Health Organization, all forms of tobacco use, including e-cigarettes, are harmful.  The delay in approval of the National Tobacco Control Strategy (NTCS) has certainly paved the way for the promotion of tobacco business and facilitation of the tobacco industry.  Further, civil society urges the Government of Pakistan to adopt the National Tobacco Control Strategy in the best interests of public health and tobacco control efforts in Pakistan.  We demand the district administration to play an effective role in the implementation of tobacco control laws in (District Vehari Punjab), he said that the awareness session by the administration of Vehari district for anti-drugs in various colleges and schools is welcome.

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