The caretaker government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has implemented Section 144 to restrict the storage, sale, and use of e-cigarettes and vapes to minors near educational institutions.
As per an official notification issued on Tuesday by the Home and Tribal Affairs Department, the decision has been taken in the wake of an alarming increase in the use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and vaping devices particularly among children and youth in the province.
The order points out the increasing concern about the widespread use of e-cigarettes and vapes, attributing it to the highly addictive substance, nicotine, present in these products.
The use of e-cigarettes and vapes carries substantial health risks, especially for children, youth, and pregnant women, leading to addiction and other serious health issues.
The provincial Home and Tribal Affairs Department added that Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure 1898 has been imposed for 60 days. According to the order, a complete ban has been imposed on the sale of e-cigarettes and vapes to individuals below the age of 21 years across the province.
Furthermore, the sale, storage, and use of e-cigarettes and vapes has been banned within a 50-meter radius of all educational institutions in KP.
It is pertinent to mention that Governor KPK Haji Ghulam Ali in a meeting on January 11 extended full support to civil society’s call of imposing a ban on the use and sale of e-cigarettes and vaping.
Should be completely banned. They are even more dangerous than normal cigarettes.