First novel tobacco control committee meeting held.

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...