To build the capacity of designated focal people nominated by respective ministries for better enforcement of the tobacco laws, nominated by federal ministries, the federal health ministry has decided to hold a day-long Training of Trainers (TOT) this week.

The TOT will be held on April 4, at the MCH Auditorium of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims).

In a letter issued to all federal ministries, divisions, joint secretaries, the health ministry had told them that the global tobacco epidemic kills nearly 7 million people every year, including 160,000 people in Pakistan.

Of these, more than 600,000 are non-smoker’s who die simply because they breathe second-hand smoke. But more than 80% of these deaths are preventable among people living in low and middle-income countries. For this purpose, the ministry said that the federal government was implementing a “Tobacco-Smoke Free Islamabad” programme by creating awareness through signage and enforcement of tobacco control laws.