The campaign to make this world smoke-free has now entered Pakistan with a bang. This is very commendable although late. This is also anathema to the cigarette manufacturers who have a very strong and forceful lobby here, considering the amount of revenue they remit to the treasury. The present government is also compelled to plunge ahead with deeds rather than just fanciful statements. The environment is a big issue with the government especially since the spouse of the Premier is personally conducting the environmental orchestra.

There is an imperative need to sincerely and systematically coordinate activities to achieve the desired objectives of a smoke-free society within the next few years. The task is enormous and the hurdles gargantuan. There are NGOs and even the media which have taken the lead to educate the populace on the effects of smoking, the ramifications of excessive inhaling of nicotine, and the danger to the lives of those who have no choice but to be passive smokers. However, much more is needed to fight and eradicate this scourge.

The initial start to transform the country into a smoke-free society should be made by the national airlines. On February 15, 1990, the then MD of PIA, Mr Arif Abbasi, had announced that PIA would not permit smoking on domestic flights. One can still remember that announcement which thrilled the hearts of non-smoking passengers who had to suffer the ignominy of inhaling stale nicotine-infested smoke in the cabins. They were overjoyed that they would now travel with ease and comfort. Moreover, the stewardesses were exhilarated because most of them had a hard time pronouncing "extinguish" while making their routine announcements on the PA system.

It was hoped that PIA would gradually extend this scheme to international flights, initially, to India, Maldives, etc. It was hoped that PIA would also be able to convince CAA to declare the airport lounges off-limits to smokers. It was hoped that the Duty Free Shops would also stop vending tobacco related products. It was hoped that Abbasi would also declare PIA offices smoke-free zones too. All these hopes were shattered because within no time, the pressures of the VIPs, certain top bureaucrats, and the cigarette lobby played heavily on the PIA hierarchy and pretty soon PIA succumbed to these arm-twisting methods and became Great People To Smoke With.

The Ministry of Health should also take relevant steps to curb this menace. One can remember the announcements made a few years ago with all the fanfare and aplomb about this Ministry’s directives to PTV to discontinue cigarette advertisements. However, the PTV bigwigs continue to sidestep every time this issue crops up. PTV is more concerned with presenting a black bottom line in its financial reports rather than deep-sizing the after-effects of the cancer-inducing advertisements it beams to the 40 countries including this beloved nation. These advertisements depict macho sportsmen of European origin, flanked by voluptuous and gorgeous damsels, indulging in high tech sports which only a minuscule percentage of Pakistanys play or understand, relishing the taste and style of cheap Pakistany brand cigarettes whose names they may have never heard of.

Come on now all you advertisement agencies. Who are you trying to hoodwink ? You are only creating a false impression of leisure and luxury in the minds of the younger generation, the future hope of this nation. The citizens of Pakistan anxiously wait for the day when the PTV hierarchy heralds in hope by taking the noble step to totally ban cigarette advertisements. They’ll have to look for non-cigarette companies to sponsor the sports events. If they can’t find any , so what ? They can always reduce the air time allotted to cricket games. It will still be for the better. The management of NTM has already taken this auspicious step. ( Hopefully the NTM head honcho has quit smoking or is contemplating to kick the habit). Why can’t the state-organs do so too ?

The Ministry of Information has to play its designated role with panache too. Apart from just blowing the trumpet highlighting the achievements of the government and castigating the opposition parties, the Ministry should seriously tune itself towards attacking this problem too. All newspapers, magazines, and journals should be barred from accepting cigarette advertisements. Of course, the print media will lose precious revenue but in the long-run they’ll have a healthy bunch of patrons and readers.

There is a lot of advertising of cigarettes thru billboards. The local bodies dealing with billboards should issue instructions to billboard agencies that cigarette advertisements will not be permissible and that these will be removed and licenses canceled if this directive is flouted. At the present moment, the roads and highways are inundated with billboards exhorting the consumers to taste these health hazards which they very ably camouflage thru projections of a romantic lifestyle, a glamorous interlude from the humdrum of the rat race, and an escape to the exotic and fun filled areas of the world. There is also the need to demolish the cigarette signboards on the pan shops too.

The eating establishments are quite lenient with smokers. In order to maximize their clientele, especially families, they turn a blind eye to all implorations. The resulting attitude is that restaurants have become "smoking clubs" and no one can do anything about it. Pizza Hut has a designated non-smoking section. A couple of five-star hotels have non-smoking floors too. It’s a small beginning and one hopes the trend will pick up.

The industrial and business community should also move forward in this field. They can team up with the anti-smoking lobby and initiate steps to educate the workers to shun this nasty habit. They can offer inducements to their staff to quit smoking. This could be thru many different ways. Moreover, the usage of posters admonishing those workers who smoke and advising them to quit be placed all over the work stations. Trade Associations and Chambers can play a more effective role in this respect.

There should be a complete ban on the import of machinery for producing cigarettes. There should be more duties, taxes, and levies on the product. Cheaper brands be discouraged and furthermore, a deletion program be undertaken where over a period, the production is gradually decreased. The DFIs should be extremely tough in providing financing to the cigarette manufacturers. New brands be banned and the cigarette producers be barred from undertaking sponsorships of sports. The Presidency and the Prime Minister’s House should cease ordering specially made cigarettes. They too have to chip in to make this campaign a success.

Lately, news has come out of San Francisco, California, that the city has become the first local government to sue the tobacco industry seeking to recover millions of dollars that the city routinely spends every year in the treatment of smoking-related illnesses. It should be noted that in USA alone over 400,000 people die every year due to cigarette smoking. Close to home, the World Health Organization has listed Pakistan as the top tobacco smoking country in the world. In fact the per capita consumption is double that of India and Bangladesh ! Over in China, the city fathers of Shanghai have declared a 400 meter street as a no-smoking street.

On a personal note, I used to be a very heavy smoker with a daily intake of 45-50 cigarettes every day. It was such that I had to have atleast two cigs just to get out of bed. Until November 25, 1977, that is. That was Q-Day. (Quit Day) ! Since that day I have been cold turkey. I have not had even a puff. My friends, family, and staff termed this as another one of Allah’s miracles that someone like me who was nicknamed "Mr Nicotine" by my American buddies could so easily give up this habit. If I could do it , so can others. In fact because I did it my father, uncle, and five of my very close friends quit too.