Prime Minister Mr Imran Khan has been lauded to decline an invitation from tobacco firms for attending a webinar. It manifests the government’s commitment towards controlling the use of tobacco in the country.

Health experts are of the view that PM’s attendance would have sent a wrong message to the international community as this was a violation of the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). Multinationals operating in Pakistan have a practice of engaging with personnel holding key positions in government and media. For this purpose, well connected and experienced individuals are hired as government and press advisors on hefty perks and privileges to do image building.

Acquiring a pack of 20 cigarettes for an underage boy or girl is not much difficult in Pakistan. This should be a major concern for concerned authorities in the government responsible for curbing smoking. Shopkeepers have a casual attitude towards ensuring customers hold a CNIC prior to selling a pack of cigarettes. Two steps should immediately be taken. First, shopkeepers should not be allowed to sell cigarettes without a pack. Only packs of 20 could be sold after ensuring the customer is not underage. Second, shopkeepers should not be allowed to display cigarettes openly in a shop, instead of hiding from the general public as it is in the United Kingdom and the rest of the world. Strict penalties from the government should be implied against those shopkeepers breaching laws while handling the sale of cigarettes.

If a check and balance are made mandatory against dealers and shopkeepers selling cigarettes across the country, there would certainly be a visible decline in the use of tobacco, taking precious lives each year across the world.

SHAHZAD LODHI,

Rawalpindi Cantt.