From October 1 onwards, the making and import of packs containing less than 20 cigarettes will be banned in Pakistan, reports The News.
Open cigarette pack
The ban, issued by Inter-Provincial Coordination Ministry, is meant to discourage smoking among youngsters, who find small cigarette packs cheaper.
Tobacco companies must halt production of packs with less than 20 cigarettes, and shopkeepers must take them off the shelf until September 30. Currently, packs sold in the country have 10 or 20 cigarettes with the smaller one reporting better sales.
The sale of loose cigarettes is not affected by the ban.
The sale of tobacco products is prohibited to persons under the age of 18, and under the new law, retailers are obliged to ask customers to provide evidence of their age, if in doubt.
