Another initiative for tobacco control 'Monitoring Tobacco Advertising, Promotion and Sponsorship in Pakistan was launched by The Network for Consumer Protection on Monday.
Under the campaign, the Network will monitor advertising and promotional activities and patronization of different campaigns under the guise of corporate social responsibility by tobacco companies.
Tobacco promotion and sponsorship is marginally an unattended subject by regulators in the country, Nadeem Iqbal, Executive
Coordinator, The Network expressed while highlighting the significance of initiative on TAPS.
Monitoring of TAPS by The Network is funded by Bloomberg Global Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use, implemented by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids (TFK) and International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (The Union).
Banning TAPS is recommended by Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) to its parties. Pakistan is a signatory of FCTC and commits the obligations by FCTC, Nadeem Iqbal said.
Article 13 of FCTC recommends parties to the treaty to introduce precautionary approach to prompt for restricting tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship to reduce the tobacco related disease burden.
The Network will be setting up monitoring mechanism for the campaign in populous districts of the country in collaboration with different non-government and civil society organisations including WHO, Intermedia, Aurat Foundation, Pakistan Medical Association.
The campaign will be run with the support of local press clubs, districts governments, local parliamentarians and civil society organisations in targeted districts of country. Different countries around the globe have successfully banned tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship to reduce the health burden by tobacco use. (APP)
