Health minister refuses to surrender to tobacco industry

Karachi
Federal Minister for Health Saira Afzal Tarar has emerged as the boldest health minister Pakistan has ever had as she refused to succumb to the billion-dollar strong tobacco lobby.
“We can’t compromise our children’s health for higher government revenues,” she said.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) in its full pages newspaper advertisements has lauded the Pak government’s decision in this regard.
Pakistan became a party to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control on February 27, 2005.
Smoke Free Places: Smoking is prohibited in all places of public work or use, and on all public transport. Smoking is permitted in hotel guest rooms. With respect to outdoor areas, smoking is prohibited in outdoor waiting areas for buses and trains. Sub-national jurisdictions may enact smoke free laws that are more stringent than the national law.
Tobacco Advertising, Promotion and Sponsorship: There are few restrictions on advertising and promotion in Pakistan. Print advertising is prohibited, except for advertisements less than one square inch in the inside portion of publications that are not intended for young people. TV and radio advertising is limited to the hours between 3:00 and 4:00 am. Billboards and other outdoor print media may not exceed one square meter. Most other forms of advertising and promotions are allowed. There are some restrictions on tobacco sponsorship and the publicity of such sponsorship.
Tobacco Packaging and Labelling: The Ministry of Health has issued a warning containing both a picture and text that must be placed on all cigarette packs. The warning must occupy 40 percent of the pack and be placed on the front top of the pack in Urdu and on the back top of the pack in English. The law does not provide for the rotation of the health warnings. Health warnings are not required on smokeless tobacco products.
Roadmap to Tobacco Control Legislation: There are two principal ordinances governing tobacco control in Pakistan. Using the powers conferred by the two ordinances, officials in Pakistan have issued a series of SROs (or statutory notifications) to implement, amend, and update its tobacco control laws.
The first principal ordinance is the Cigarettes (Printing of Warning) Ordinance, 1979 (Ordinance No LXXIII of 1979), which effectively requires that health warnings be printed on tobacco product packaging. SRO 86(KE)/2009 establishes the current rules on the printing of warnings. SRO 87(E)/2009 describes the current warning text and its accompanying image. Since the promulgation of these SROs, the government has twice altered the length of the rotation period for the current health warning. Firstly, the government published SROs 01(KE)/2010 and 02(KE)/2010, delaying implementation of the graphic health warning from February 1 to May 31, 2010. Secondly, the Ministry of Health issued a memorandum, No. F. 02-16/2007-FCTC on the Extension of Current Pictorial Health Warning, extending the current rotation period up to December 31, 2011.
The second principal ordinance, the Prohibition of Smoking in Enclosed Places and Protection of Non-smokers Health Ordinance, 2002 (Ordinance No. LXXIV of 2002), governs multiple areas of tobacco control, including restrictions on public smoking, sales to minors, and tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship. Several other pieces of legislation augment the terms of this primary ordinance.
With regard to smoke-free policies, the Motor Vehicles Ordinance, 1965 provides the definition of “public service vehicle,” a definition used in the 2002 Ordinance bans the use of tobacco products in vehicles meeting that definition. In addition, SRO 653(I)/2003 lists additional places as “places of the public work or use” to be included in that ban on the use of tobacco products and SRO 51(KE)/2009 requires all such places to be 100% smoke-free. In terms of tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, SRO 655(I)/2003 establishes the Committee on Tobacco Advertisement Guidelines. The Committee issued advertisement guidelines in Notification F.13-5/2003, SRO 882(I)/2007, and, most recently, SRO 53(KE)/2009. Also in exercise of the powers conferred in the 2002 Ordinance, SRO 863(I)/2010 established the Prohibition of Sale of Cigarettes to Minors Rules, 2010. These rules place duties on manufacturers, importers, and retail sellers to take steps to protect against targeting minors and the sale of cigarettes to minors. Finally, the SRO 654(I)/2003 and SRO 277(I)/2011 identify those individuals who are authorised to enforce the 2002 Ordinance.