KARACHI: Senior ENT Surgeon Dr SM Qaisar Sajjad on Friday urged the authorities concerned of Sindh government for strictly enforcing the ban on the use of cigarette, pan, gutka and other tobacco-based items in government/ private colleges and other educational institutions all over the province of Sindh.

Dr Qaisar Sajjad, who is also Secretary General, Pakistan Medical Association (Centre), lauded the Sindh government for imposing a complete ban on the smoking and tobacco-based chewable items in all educational institutions of the province. He said the PMA has already been demanding a complete ban on cigarettes, Sheesha, betel nuts betel leaf, Gutika, Mainpuri and other health hazardous chewable products.

He informed that consumption of tobacco products from primary schools to universities has become a fashion in Pakistan, particularly in Sindh province.

He said both male and female students are using tobacco products in the premises of educational institutes, due to poor implementation of laws and rules.

He lamented that 14 percent girl students are also using some sort of drugs or other health hazardous things in Sindh and other parts of the country. He said use of drugs is students has alarmingly increased in the country.

Dr Qaisar Sajjad said cancer cases are on the rise in youngsters with rapidly increase in the use of tobacco products in urban and rural areas of the province. He girls and boys are using tobacco products of varied forms, adding cigarette is start of using other drugs.

He said selling of all kinds of tobacco products should be banned in the premises of schools, colleges and universities as well as in around one kilometer area from educational institutes.

He demanded of the Sindh government strictly implement on ban on the use of all chewable and non-chewable tobacco products throughout the Sindh province and launch a comprehensive crackdown on online selling drugs to make society free from all kinds of drugs.