ISLAMABAD - World Health Organisation (WHO) Representative in Pakistan Dr Palitha Mahipala, on Wednesday expressed his deepest appreciation and gratitude on government’s decision to commemorate the first of Ramazan as the National Quit Day.
In a statement issued here, Dr Palitha congratulated Dr Faisal Sultan, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health, for declaring first of Ramazan as the “National Quit Day. He said it was high time for people of this great nation to encourage smokers in their homes, workplaces and communities to quit smoking. “The holy month of Ramazan is a real opportunity to quit smoking,” he remarked
Dr Palitha said, “Tobacco is deadly in any form. Smoked tobacco products, including water pipes, contain over 7000 chemicals, including at least 250 chemicals known to be toxic or cause cancer. Tobacco use harms nearly every organ of the body.”
Globally, tobacco kills 8 million people every year. Over 1 million of deaths attributed to tobacco are due to second-hand smoke exposure. Someone is dying of tobacco-related diseases every four seconds.
Dr Palitha said tobacco was the most common risk of non-communicable diseases which was causing around 58% mortality in Pakistan. He said Pakistan had taken a number of steps like ban on the sale of loose cigarettes, ban on point of sale, large-sized pictorial health warning and raised tobacco taxation and now the National Quit Day. This, he said, was a sheer display of government commitment to reduce tobacco use by 30% by 2025.
“I am very happy that if the current momentum continues, Pakistan is the only country in our region that would achieve the target of reducing tobacco use by 30% by 2025. However, we cannot be complacent, we need to do more and continue our joint endeavours to counter tobacco industry tactics to promote tobacco and tobacco novel products,” Dr Palitha commented.
He warned that smokers were more vulnerable to COVID-19, therefore they should really commit to quit in line with the theme of the upcoming World No Tobacco Day that would be commemorated all over the world under the theme “Commit to Quit” on 31st May.
