KARACHI: As the tobacco epidemic is spreading in the country at an alarming rate, Pakistan is among the 15 countries worldwide with a heavy burden of tobacco-related ill health.
Presently, there are some 31.8percent men, 5.8pc women and 19.1pc youth who are addicted to tobacco in one form and other.
These views were shared by a panel of experts at the launching ceremony of Pakistan Civil Society Alliance for Tobacco Control, organized by the Human Development Foundation (HDF) at a local hotel.
The panelists included Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of HDF Azhara Saleem, Zahid Thebo, Regional Manager SPARC, SanaullahGhumman, General Secretary PANAH, DrShelinaBhanami, Assistant Professor Aga Khan University, Imdad Soomro, Senior Investigative Journalist, Dr Syed Zafar Hussain Shah, Head of Medical Surgery, Memon Medical Institute Hospital, Zahid Shafiq, PM-HDF were amongst the panelist.
CEO HDF Azhar Saleem stated that the World Health Organization’s 2013’s standardized estimate of smoking prevalence further reveal that 31.8 pc of men, 5.8 pc of women, and 19.1 pc of Pakistan’s adult population currently use tobacco in one form or another. Of these, 17.9 pc of men, 1 pc of women and 9.6 pc of the adult population overall are daily cigarette smokers, while 4.4 pc men, 1 pc women and 2.7 pc of the adult population are daily water pipe smokers.
Moreover, 10.5 pc men, 3.5 pc women and 7.1 pc of adults use smokeless tobacco daily. Among youth, 13.3 pc of boys, 6.6 pc of girls and 10.7 pc of all youth currently use tobacco or a tobacco product, Azhar Saleem added.
A recent study conducted by HDF, PANAH, FFC and SPARC with the name of ‘Big Tobacco, Tiny Targets’ reveal how tobacco advertisement, product display and sales around primary and secondary schools by the tobacco industry has carefully chosen the youth, specifically girls as target audience for their new tobacco campaign.
Therefore, it has become vital for the organizations associated with health, academia, education, youth development and human rights wings to join hands to lobby against the horrendous marketing strategy of the tobacco industry which is ostentatiously targeting the youth of the country to have new customers for their poisonous product”, he went on the say.
In 2002, Pakistan promulgated the Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non-Smokers Health Ordinance which restricts tobacco use at public places and public service vehicles, restricts advertisement of tobacco products, prohibits sale of cigarettes to minors, and storage, sale and distribution of cigarettes in the immediate vicinity of educational institutions and makes it mandatory to display the no-smoking messages at public places, etc.
Zahid Thebo of SPARC said that Pakistan has a national law to protect the health of non-smokers and it has also voluntarily become the signatory of the FCTC, there are still violation of the laws, a few among which include the blurred or small GHWs on the cigarette packs.
According to SanaullahGhumman of PANAH, there is a complete smoking ban in the healthcare facilities, primary and secondary schools, universities, private offices, government facilities, public transport and restaurants; however the tiny target report reveals that despite this ban, the sale of cigarettes within the 50 meter vicinity of schools and colleges is still prevalent.
Zahid Shafiq, PM-HDF said that the tobacco taxes are also well-below the levels prescribed by FCTC. The Pakistan Civil Society Alliance for Tobacco control at national level must be formulated which must join hands to convince the government to enforce its current tobacco control legislation.
The forum will strive to convince the government to strengthen Pakistan’s tobacco control legislation, to include a ban on all forms of POS tobacco advertising and product display. It must strive to ensure that accountability and transparency is common when it comes to the implementation of the law. It should strive for increasing tobacco taxation and balancing the power of tobacco lobby.
In this regard, Zahid Shafiq said the Human Development Foundation (HDF) proposes to form Pakistan Civil Society Alliance for Tobacco Control (PCSA) with the aim to reduce and eventually eliminate tobacco consumption in Pakistan. The goal of PCSA for Tobacco Control is to support the global campaign to reduce the use of tobacco and save lives. In order to achieve this goal, HDF has set some objectives for PCSA for Tobacco Control.
The objectives of the forum should be to create awareness on laws related to tobacco and advocate for the effective enforcement of these laws, to ensure the organizations aboard have smoke-free offices while advocating for smoke-free public spaces and strengthen the policing of violations in light of anti-tobacco laws in their respective provinces.
According to Zahid Shafiq, the Pakistan Civil Society Alliance for Tobacco Control will consist of civil society organizations, academia, youth groups, Provincial Tobacco Control Cell and individuals who will work together for the control of tobacco use in Pakistan.
Each organization will nominate two focal persons to be an active member of the alliance. The alliance will consist of 15 members (Led by the President, with four secretariat members, two members from each province, one youth member and one media member). Each province will nominate two focal members from there general body member.