LAHORE – Punjab government launched massive crackdown on smoking in public spaces, and first target is your neighborhood park.
Under orders of Secretary Housing Noor-ul-Amin Mengal, all parks across the province have now been officially declared “No Smoking Zones.” The ban is sweeping cigarettes, e-cigarettes, vapes, and all tobacco products are now strictly prohibited in parks.
A formal notification has been issued, invoking the Non-Smokers’ Health Ordinance 2002, which makes smoking and tobacco sales at public places a punishable offense. Tuck shops, cafés, and vending stalls inside parks. all barred from selling tobacco products.
The government announced that “No Smoking” signboards will be placed at every corner, and strict monitoring teams will be deployed to catch violators in real-time.
PHAs across the province have just 10 days to enforce the ban, or face consequences. This bold step is being hailed as a major victory for public health, and a warning to the tobacco industry that parks are for families, not for smoking.
