A social media post claiming that the Punjab government has imposed a ban on vape pods across the province has gone viral over the internet.
According to the poster, anyone found using a vape pod would face strict legal action, including a fine of up to Rs500,000 and imprisonment of up to six months.
Claiming that an FIR will also be registered and the accused could face immediate arrest, the post went on to state that the move is a part of the provincial government’s efforts to protect the health and well-being of youngsters.
The post, however, is fake as an investigation by The Current confirmed that the provincial government has not imposed any such ban.
A closer look at the poster also revealed a Google Gemini watermark in the bottom right corner, suggesting it was created using the AI-generation tool and not released by provincial authorities.
The Current also looked into recent provincial government decisions and discussions that could have influenced the fake post, and discovered Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Maryam Nawaz’s message on World Tobacco Day.
That too, however, did not suggest any blanket ban was being imposed, and instead only mentioned measures to enforce a ban on smoking at educational institutions.
In her message, the provincial chief executive had also noted that smoking in government offices, public transport and other public places was already a punishable offence and strict implementation of the law would be ensured.
She had added that all possible steps would be taken to discourage smoking and vaping among youth, calling awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco both a government responsibility and a social obligation.
