ISLAMABAD - ICT Administration Saturday reviewed the progress of its ongoing anti-tobacco drive and took important decisions to implement the anti-smoking law, which prohibits smoking at public places. Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Amer Ali Ahmed held a meeting with the SUB-Divisional Magistrates, Secretary Islamabad Transport Authority Khawja Maqbool and SSP Traffic Islamabad and reviewed the progress of decisions taken in the last meeting to implement the Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non-Smokers Health Ordinance 2002 in the Islamabad Capital Territory. A spokesman of ICT Administration said that it was decided in the previous meeting that during the first phase of the implementation, all the concerned departments would launch a public awareness drive in Islamabad with a view to discourage smoking at public places in capital and especially the teenagers up to 18 years would not be allowed to smoke at public places. It was decided that the shopkeepers, restaurants owners and smokers would be educated through public awareness drive to avoid smoking at the public places during the first phase of drive and no one would be harassed during the motivation drive. Sub-Divisional Magistrate (city) Muhammad Ali Randhwa told the meeting that he had conducted a survey of restaurants and hotels in the city area and had issued warning to seven restaurants owners to close down their shisha smoking corners at their own and cooperate with the administration in the implementation of anti-smoking laws. Action would be taken against those who failed to implement the law on next checking, he informed the participants. The Secretary ITA and SSP Traffic Islamabad told the participants that campaign to create awareness amongst the drivers, conductors and commuters to avoid smoking in the public service vehicles was also under way and pamphlets stickers containing information about anti-smoking law had been distributed among the transporters. Banners with the help of Ministry of Health were also being affixed at the public places to discourage smoking at public places and the importance of protection of health of non-smokers. Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Amer Ali Ahmed has said that first phase of drive would focus on creating maximum awareness in the general public to avoid smoking at public places, hotels, offices, restaurants, bus stops, parking areas and cooperation through persuasion and motivation and during the second phase of drive fines would be imposed as provided under the law.