KARACHI - Health Experts on Thursday expressed serious concern over rising cases of cancer, heart and lung diseases caused by increasing number of smokers in Pakistan.
They shared these views during a press briefing at Karachi Press Club, organised by National Alliance for Tobacco Control (NATC), Pakistan Chest Society, Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA), and Pakistan Medical Association (PMA).
They regretted that cigarette smoking killed over 100,000 Pakistanis and the death toll was far higher than total deaths occurring as a result of suicide bombings, traffic accidents and crimes in the given years.
NATC Chairperson Professor Dr Javed Khan asked the federal government to increase taxation on cigarettes in order to curb the growing tobacco epidemic in the country.
He said that the recent news of federal government considering decrease in taxation on cigarettes in the upcoming budget will be detrimental to tobacco control in the country. Quoting the findings of research conducted by International Agency for Research on Cancer last year, he said that 50 percent increase in inflation adjusted price could reduce smoking prevalence by 20 percent.
“Taxation on cigarettes in Pakistan is presently lowest in the region that encourages people, especially the youth, to smoke,” he said, and added, “Significant increase in tobacco taxes are a highly effective tobacco control strategy that could lead to significant improvement in public health according to recent WHO and World Bank reports.”
Pakistan Medical Association Secretary General Dr Qaisar Sajjad said tobacco was responsible for almost 50 percent of all cancer cases in the country; still smoking was advertised in the country and was portrayed in television drama serials as a pleasurable, cool, glamorous act.
He demanded a comprehensive ban on all forms of tobacco advertising and sponsorship in the country, including advertising at shops and through TV drama serials and films.
About the hazards of second hand smoking, he said that passive smoking was a serious health risk to a non-smoker.
He stressed the need for making all public places and public transports smoke free in order to protect the health of non-smokers.
Addressing doctors of Pakistan, he said that they should not only set a good example by not smoking themselves, but also work to make their clinics, health centres and hospitals smoke free.
PCS Vice President Professor Nisar Rao warned that tobacco in any form increased an already extensive risk of heart disease in individuals suffering from hypertension and diabetes. He regretted the closure of Tobacco Control Cell in Islamabad that was working under the Ministry of Health.