Joint efforts needed to end smoking in Pakistan; AC.

PESHAWAR -- Assistant Commissioner Peshawar Sayeda Zainab Naqvi here on Wednesday said that May 31 was being celebrated worldwide as World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) and there was need for joint efforts to control the ever-increasing trend of smoking in Pakistan. For this, she said the district administration has taken actions at various shisha clubs and sealed these clubs were sealed.

Talking to reporter, Sayeda Zainab Naqvi said that parents should keep an eye on their children and protect them from drugs.

Chief Executive Officer of West General Hospital and Research Center Dr. Zia-ur-Rehman was also present on this occasion.

The WNTD is observed around the world every year on May 31, she said, adding, the yearly celebration informs the public on the dangers of using tobacco, the business practices of tobacco companies, what the World Health Organization (WHO) is doing to fight against the use of tobacco and what people around the world can do to claim their right to health and healthy living and to protect future generations.'

It is worth mentioning here that the Member States of the WHO created World No Tobacco Day in 1987 to draw global attention to the tobacco epidemic and the preventable death and disease it causes. The day is further intended to draw attention to the widespread prevalence of tobacco use and to negative health effects, which currently lead to more than 8 million deaths each year worldwide, including 1.2 million as result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke.

The day has been met with both enthusiasm and resistance around the globe from governments, public health organizations, smokers, growers, and the tobacco industry and such awareness should be given to the youth of Pakistan regarding the harmfulness of Tobacco use, she said.

WNTD is one of 11 official global public health campaigns marked by the WHO, along with World Health Day, World Blood Donor Day, World Immunization Week, World Tuberculosis Day, World Malaria Day, World Hepatitis Day, World Chagas Disease Day, World Patient Safety Day, World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, and World AIDS Day.

The observance of the day, she said, mean to raise awareness about the unhealthy and destructive effects of using tobacco. In addition, the event serves as an opportunity to help educate people about the dangers of using tobacco and how its usage can be regulated, she informed.

Tobacco consumption directly harms the users and also indirectly impacts the health of...