KARACHI:Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has asked the railway minister Sheikh Rashid to declare all railway stations of Pakistan smoking-free places. PMA being mother organization of the medical fraternity is also a patient-friendly organization, and has always raised voice for improvement of the health of the Nation.
PMA has been running campaigns for banning tobacco and Chalia (betel nuts) in all forms in Pakistan to save the lives of people because these products are hazardous for health. It is also proven clinically that juice of the good quality Chalia is carcinogen and when it is mixed with tobacco and other hazardous items, it becomes more dangerous for human health. Tobacco in any form causes cancer and 166,000 people die every year in the country due to use of tobacco in different forms.
In this regard a letter has already been written to Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed, Federal Minister for Railways to implement the prohibition of smoking and protection of non-smokers health ordinance 2002 in letter and spirit in the jurisdiction of Pakistan Railways, and declare train compartments and railway stations as tobacco / chalia free areas.
It is commonly seen that people smoke and chew chalia in different forms and spit everywhere on railway stations. The smokers not only harm their own health but also put the health of non-smokers around them at risk.