Smoking claims 50,000 lives in Pakistan annually: expert

Cigarette smoking is claiming more than 50,000 lives per annum in Pakistan that is a national tragedy and needs united efforts to overcome it. Dr Aslam Chaudhry, a well-known ENT Specialist and Associate Professor in Rawalpindi General Hospital stated this here on Monday. He was addressing a function arranged on the occasion of International Day of Smoking. He stressed the need for strict measures to control smoking in youths under 18 years of age. "Government by taking strict measures and creating awareness about the hazards of the smoking would help control the smoking", he added.
"It is a social stigma and every individual should have to play his effective role to control this menace", Dr Aslam said adding a ruthless campaign on print and electronic media, and from mosques should be launched against the smoking, and all other measures should be taken to stop the advertisement of cigarettes. Dr Aslam added the toll of deaths as a result of smoking was a bit higher than AIDS Hepatitis and other killer diseases.