Mobile App launched for reporting violations of tobacco control laws

ISLAMABAD - Association for Better Pakistan, a non-government organization, Thursday launched a mobile application named "ABP Violation Detector" for reporting violations of tobacco control laws in the federal capital.

“ABP Violation Detector” would help the general public to report by capturing pictures of violators, which would result in improved healthcare status with the reduced tobacco use.

Talking to the participants Dr Ziauddin lslam Technical Director Tobacco Control Cell Ministry of National Health and Services assured his full support for the execution of this application. said globally there were just a few countries which have developed such application, while in Pakistan this was the first ever endeavor adding that suggested linking the violation data with Tobacco Control cell’s website.

Dr. Minhaj, Project Director, Tobacco Smoke-Free Capital Project while launching mobile based application said it was time needed to use modern technology to report violations of tobacco control laws. He said that although there was the law to protect the health of non-smokers, the mechanism to report any violation of this law was very lengthy and the general public usually unaware of it.

Project Manager ABP, Shadman Aziz said it will be initially effective for Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) citizens which would subsequently be proliferated to other areas of the country as well. gal actions on the reported violations would be taken by "Tobacco Smoke-Free Islamabad" Project and ICT administration, he said.

Pakistan promulgated "Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non-Smokers Health Ordinance 2002" which restricts the tobacco use at public places and public transport. It also restricts advertisement of tobacco products, prohibits the sale of cigarettes to minors, and storage, sale and distribution of cigarettes in the immediate vicinity of educational institutions and makes it mandatory to display the no-smoking messages at public places.

Tobacco use is the single largest preventable cause of death in the world that kills approximately 180,100 people every year in Pakistan.

According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey, 23.9 million Pakistani adult populations use tobacco in any form. 86.7 billion Cigarettes were consumed annually as a result of which Rs. 347 billion is smoked in the air every year. The annual economic cost of smoking in Pakistan is as high as Rs. 143.208 billion.

Ashraf Shad, President ABP, Muhamad Javed, Project Manager Tobacco Control cell, Aftab Ahmed, Project Manager Tobacco Smoke-Free Capital and Muhammad Faisal from FFO Pakistan also participated in the ceremony.