The menace of tobacco engulfs 7 million lives annually including 165,000 in Pakistan. Ironically, however, tobacco is still accepted as a norm in our society. World No Tobacco Day is a stark reminder for all of us that we are lagging behind the rest of the world in our tobacco control efforts. These sentiments were expressed by the health professionals at a meeting to mark World No Tobacco Day on May 31. The thematic focus of this year's World No Tobacco Day is "Tobacco and Heart Diseases".
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) pose a grave public health concern as they kill more people than any other disease and according to WHO, tobacco use is the foremost cause of deaths from CVDs. Addressing the meeting of the National Alliance for Tobacco Control (NATC) at AKU, Prof Javaid Khan Chair NATC, raised serious concern on delay in introducing large sized pictorial health warnings on the cigarettes pack. He added that numerous countries have introduced large sized pictorial health warnings on the cigarettes packs and which has helped in reducing the burden of tobacco related morbidity and mortality in those countries.
Increased taxation on tobacco products and a comprehensive ban on smoking in public places are two other strategies which if implemented can significantly help in controlling tobacco epidemic in the country, he added.
Prof Ali Zubairi, a pulmonologist from AKUH said that, while we do have laws in place in Pakistan since 2002, no serious efforts have been done in the country to implement them. Cigarettes are still being sold at a very low cost in the country and even children can purchase them easily. Tobacco used with betel nut is the major reason for rising head, mouth and neck cancer in the country, he warned.
Dr Muhammad Irfan of Pakistan Chest Society said that tobacco has dangerous repercussions on the health of the public. He added that a colossal share of foreign exchange is consumed in importing exorbitantly priced medicines required to treat diseases caused by tobacco. He urged the decision makers to realize that we can ameliorate public health as well as save money for the country if we control the tobacco epidemic effectively by implementing tobacco control laws.-PR