LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has urged citizens to quit smoking and adopt a healthy lifestyle, describing tobacco use as a serious threat to public health and a major cause of preventable diseases and deaths.
In her message on the occasion of World No-Tobacco Day, she said tobacco consumption could prove more dangerous than many deadly diseases and termed it a menace worse than an epidemic. She said every puff of tobacco was a step towards a new illness.
The CM said smoking was not merely a habit but amounted to a self-destructive attack on one’s health, economic well-being and social life.
She added that more than 250,000 deaths linked to tobacco use in the country were alarming and deeply painful.
CM Maryam Nawaz said the Punjab government was taking measures to ensure a complete ban on smoking in schools, colleges and other educational institutions. She added that smoking in government offices, public transport and other public places was a punishable offence and strict implementation of relevant laws would be ensured.
Expressing concern over the growing use of tobacco products and vaping among young people, she said smoking and e-cigarette use could be among the major causes of heart attacks and other serious health complications in youth.
The CM said protecting the younger generation from tobacco addiction was a top priority and the government was committed to taking all possible measures in this regard. She emphasized that awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco was not only the responsibility of the government but also a shared social obligation.
She urged citizens to provide their families and loved ones with a healthy, smoke-free environment and appealed to the public to make a commitment on World No-Tobacco Day to quit smoking and embrace a healthier way of life.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
Comments