Consultant Physician Chest diseases, Javaid A Khan of Aga Khan University Hospital, has said that tobacco companies have been given a free hand to promote a powerful addictive substance to the youth of the country and at an average 1500 children are taking up smoking every day in Pakistan.
He was talking at a press briefing on the occasion of National 'Quit Smoking Day' being observed on the First of Ramazan by health professional of Pakistan to tell the people about the consequences of smoking. He said that tobacco is responsible for 100,000 deaths every year in Pakistan. Professor Javaid said that according to research conducted by AKU, 40 percent men and 8 percent women smoke on regular basis in the country.
He said that according to WHO report the annual death toll attributable to tobacco is expected to rise from the current estimate of 5 million to 10 million per year by 2025 and over 70 percent of these deaths would be in the developing countries, such as Pakistan. Quoting a fresh research report published only a week ago, he said that even those people who smoke from one to four cigarettes per day are at four times increased risk of dying of lung cancer or heart attack. He regretted that most smokers in Pakistan are least aware of the dangers of tobacco.
Others who spoke on the occasion included Dr Shakil Siddiqui, Consultant Chest Physician, Government Hospital Korangi, Dr Nadeem Rizvi, Head of the Chest Department JPMC, and Dr Mohammed Hussein of Liaquat National Hospital.
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