Tobacco vendors’ licensing enforcement campaign continues

ISLAMABAD (APP): The Excise, Taxation, and Narcotics Control Department, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) in collaboration with the Ministry of National Health Services on Sunday continued the enforcement campaign for tobacco vendors’ licensing in the federal capital.
Director Excise, Taxation, and Narcotics Control, Bilal Azam said that the drive was launched to enforce the tobacco vendors’ act in the capital.
Under the act, tobacco retailers are bound to get licenses and follow several conditions, including not selling tobacco products to teenagers or near educational institutions, he added.
He said that the Excise and Taxation office Islamabad, in collaboration with the Ministry of National Health Services’ project Tobacco-Free Islamabad issues licenses to point of sale every year.
Project Manager, Tobacco-Free Islamabad, Muhammad Aftab Ahmed, appreciated the efforts of the Islamabad administration to make Islamabad a tobacco-free city.
He said the health department considers precautionary measures as its priority. He said that the campaign was aimed at controlling, regulating, and discouraging the sale of tobacco.
He said that the civil administration in collaboration with the health ministry was determined to make Islamabad a smoke-free city.
He said that the World Health Organization already recognized Islamabad as a smoke-free city. The move, he said, would not only help in compiling shopkeepers’ data but also increase the revenue of the department, besides controlling tobacco sales to youth.
He said that licensing of tobacco sellers has proved to be a very effective way to curb the illicit sale of cigarettes in the capital. He added before taking legal action, the excise team issues a warning to the vendors to get a license or renew the existing one within a week.