Daily Times

KARACHI: Various heath associations have raised serious concerns on the recent news that Federal government is considering a tax decrease on cigarettes in the upcoming budget.

The low taxation rate encourages the public, especially youth for smoking, they said.

This was observed during a meeting attended by heath professionals belonging to National Alliance for Tobacco Control (NATC) Pakistan Chest Society (PCS), Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA) and Pakistan Medical Association (PMA).

Experts while quoting a research conducted by World Bank said that increasing the tax by 10 percent can reduce the tobacco consumption by 8 percent in low income country like Pakistan.

Prof. Javaid Khan, Consultant Chest Physician from Aga Khan University and chairman NATC, said that the taxation on cigarette in Pakistan is lowest in the region. The low taxation rate encourages the public, especially youth.

The health experts pressed the government to increase taxation on cigarettes in order to curb the growing tobacco epidemic in the country. It was also demanded that the “Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of non-smoker’s Health Ordinance of 2002” be strictly enforced in order to protect the public health from tobacco which happens to be the single largest preventable cause of death in Pakistan.

Speaking at the meeting, Prof. Nadeem A. Rizvi President Chest Health and Education Society and Head of the department of Chest Diseases JPMC, said that the tobacco is responsible for almost 50% of all cancer cases in the country, yet smoking is still being advertised in the country at the point of sale and is portrayed through TV drama serials as a pleasurable, cool, glamorous and an adventurous act. He demanded a comprehensive ban on all forms of tobacco advertising and sponsorship in the country.

Experts warned that tobacco in any form increases an already extensive risk of Heart disease in individuals suffering from hypertension and/or diabetes. Nicotine present in tobacco increases insulin resistance in the body and hampers good control of diabetes. They also regretted the closure of Tobacco Control cell in Islamabad which was working under ministry of health.

Dr Nisar Rao of Dow university of Health Sciences said that passive smoking is a serious health risk to a non-smoker.

Dr Sohail Akhter office bearer of PIMA, requested the lawyers to come forward and help in the litigations against the tobacco industry for its violations of anti-tobacco laws of the country.

The meeting was told that Pakistan is one of the countries where cigarette consumption is increasing with the passage of every year as according to a WHO report, every adult consumes 510 cigarettes on average every year which is alarming. Cigarette smoking kills 100,000 Pakistanis every year.

They said this death toll is far greater than total deaths occurring as a result of suicidal bombings, traffic accidents and crime related killings in a given year. Significant increases in tobacco taxes are a highly effective tobacco control strategy and lead to significant improvements in public health .Research conducted by International Agency for Research on Cancer last year has shown that 50 percent increase in inflation adjusted price reduces smoking prevalence by 20 percent.