ABBOTTABAD: Commissioner Hazara Division bans Fayyaz Ali Shah, issued strict directives to ban the use of Tobacco products in public places and all educational institutions.
He was chairing a meeting of the Divisional Implementation and Monitoring Committee for Anti-Smoking at the Commissioner’s Office, Abbottabad, in which officers from all districts participated via video conferencing. On this occasion Coordinator of the Health Department gave a detailed briefing on the negative impacts of smoking and the ongoing measures taken by the division administration. Commissioner Hazara Fayyaz Ali Shah said that it is our common responsibility to protect the young generation from the harmful effects of smoking. All Deputy Commissioners were directed to organize awareness sessions in schools, colleges, and universities in collaboration with relevant institutions, including the Special Education Department.
Further instructions were given that a complete ban should be imposed on the sale of tobacco products within fifty meters of educational institutions. In the initial stage, a warning should be issued to the shopkeepers, and legal action should be taken in case of violation. Commissioner Hazara Fayyaz Ali Shah directed all Deputy Commissioners to issue regular notifications declaring the major public parks in their districts as “tobacco-free parks” and prominently display “No Smoking Here” boards at the entrances of the parks.
It was further decided that meetings of the District Enforcement Committees should be convened immediately in all districts, and the Assistant Commissioners should be directed to take effective steps to ensure implementation of the laws.
