Universities across Pakistan have agreed to make their campuses free from smoking, vaping and other recreational nicotine products.
Vice chancellors and rectors have signed a joint charter to create healthier learning environments and discourage students from using these products.
The Charter for Tobacco and Nicotine-Free Campuses was adopted at the fifth monthly meeting of the Vice Chancellors and Rectors Forum. COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI) hosted the meeting.
Under the charter, participating universities will work to make their campuses 100 per cent free from tobacco and recreational nicotine products. These include cigarettes, e-cigarettes, vaping devices, heated tobacco products and nicotine pouches.
Universities will take steps to reduce the use of these products over time. They will organise awareness campaigns led by students and support research on tobacco use. They will also introduce monitoring systems and review their progress every year.
How will universities promote tobacco-free campuses?
The forum decided to send a joint letter and the signed charter to the prime minister through the chairman of the Higher Education Commission (HEC).
University leaders from Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir attended the meeting. They also discussed key issues affecting the higher education sector.
COMSATS University Rector Prof. Dr Raheel Qamar spoke about the role of university leaders in dealing with social and technological changes.
He also highlighted the growing use of artificial intelligence and new technologies such as quantum computing in scientific research and higher education.
Which universities took part in the initiative?
Representatives from several universities attended the meeting. These included Air University, Bahria University, FAST-National University, Fatima Jinnah Women University, Federal Urdu University, NUTECH, PIEAS and Virtual University of Pakistan.
Iqra University, SZABIST University, Preston University, HITEC University and the Women University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir also took part.
