The Rawalpindi District civil administration has decided to make Murree a No-Smoking zone in order to offer a clean environment for the millions of visitors who visit the hill station each year.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rawalpindi Mohammad Ali, who presided over a meeting of the District Tobacco Control Implementation Committee, said the decision is part of the wider Tobacco Smoke-Free Cities of Pakistan (TSFCP) Initiative.
During the meeting, DC Rawalpindi stated that smoking will be outlawed in Murree’s schools, colleges, offices, hospitals, hotels, restaurants, cafés, courts, public transportation vehicles, and stadiums, in addition to recreational and tourism areas.
He ordered the Assistant Commissioner (AC) of Murree and other concerned officials to create public awareness about the programme, as well as to guarantee that the directions are followed and that violators are prosecuted.
DC Ali stated that Murree is a well-known tourist location that attracts millions of visitors each year from all across the country, and that the district administration is obligated to provide clean air for them.
He went on to say that all of Rawalpindi’s tehsils will progressively be designated as “no-smoking zones,” becoming Rawalpindi Pakistan’s first tobacco-free and smoke-free district.
The head of the Tobacco Control Implementation Committee Rawalpindi (TCICR) has suggested that special clinics be established at major hospitals in the area to assist those who want to quit smoking.
According to the Director of the Ministry of Health’s Tobacco Control, over 150,000 people die in Pakistan each year as a result of diseases related by smoking, and such measures will save lives and assist the ministry reach the TSFCP Initiative’s aims. To read our latest blog on establishing a state-of-the-art technical training university in GB, click here.