PESHAWAR - Blue Veins, local NGO, Civil Society Organizations, Provincial Doctor Association, Tobacco Control Advocates, and Alliance for Sustainable Tobacco Control on Monday demanded Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government to extend the interim ban on e-cigarettes and vapes for an additional 60 days.
The CSO, on Monday urged the authorities for extending the stringent measures, prohibiting the sale of e-cigarettes to individuals under the age of 21 and implementing a minimum distance requirement of 50 meters from educational institutions to safeguard public health.
Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on January 16 2024, through Administrative notification imposed an interim ban, under Section 144, on the storage, sale, and use of e-cigarettes in the province.
This temporary measure, which expired on March 16, 2024, was a significant stride towards safeguarding our communities from the harms of electronic nicotine delivery systems.
In response to the World Health Organisation’s call for action and in the interest of public health, civil society organizations commend the proactive approach of the Governor and Chief Secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
In a press statement Qamar Naseem, Programme Manager at Blue Veins and leading advocate for a complete ban on vape and e-cigarette sales in KP, stated, “Extending the ban on sale of e-cigarettes and vapes is imperative to prevent youth and adolescent of these harmful products and to pave the way for evidence-based regulations.”
