LAHORE: As many as five million people die in the world as a direct result of tobacco while about 100,000 people lost their lives annually in Pakistan, according to data given by the Tobacco Control Cell of the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination.
The data showed that about 22 to 25 million population was smoker out of which around 36 percent of adult males and nine percent of adult females were tobacco users in the country while use of ‘Shisha’ amongst the youth is an emerging health risk.
In 2025, 10 million people are expected to die from this addiction while in 20th century, tobacco epidemic killed 100 million people world-wide and if this habit remains unchecked and uncontrolled, it could kill one billion during 21st century, the data showed.
Every year, like other parts of the globe, the World No Tobacco Day will be observed in Pakistan on Tuesday. On May 31, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and partners mark World No Tobacco Day, highlighting the health risks associated with tobacco use and advocating for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption.