Achi news desk-
Islamabad (News Desk) Social workers involved in public health have expressed great concern about 10 sticks by the tobacco industry.
Recent attempts to introduce cigarette packaging have been questioned. According to members of civil society, this move could not only jeopardize the progress made in tobacco control but also directly affect children and low-income people, who bear the brunt of the harmful effects of tobacco use.
Malik Imran Ahmed, Country Head, Tobacco Free Children’s Campaign, said that the tobacco industry’s efforts to introduce 10-stick packs are deeply troubling. This would not only undermine progress in tobacco control, but would also directly target the children and low income individuals who are most vulnerable to the harmful effects of tobacco use. Many countries around the world have banned the sale of single stick and low stick packs because they are easy to buy for children, youth and low income groups, thus causing a high disease burden on the health system.
Imran added that claims that the tobacco industry is the biggest contributor to the economy are completely false. They are forced to pay this part in the form of direct taxes. And this tax is also lower than the standard recommended by WHO and the World Bank. In fact, the tobacco industry is still profiting from this situation through under-reporting, price adjustments, and selling their products on the illegal market. If 10-pack cigarettes are allowed to be exported, there is a real fear that the tobacco industry will sell them in the local market. And when they are questioned, they will say that these are fake products made by someone else. Therefore, to keep people safe, it is best not to allow these packages. The tobacco industry does not have legal authorization for these so-called export deals, and the burden on the national treasury due to these deadly products is far greater than these so-called export deals. Therefore, the government should be vigilant.
About 31.9 million adults aged 15 and older are reported as current tobacco users, about 19.7 percent of the adult population, said Dr. Khalil Ahmad Dogar, Program Manager, SPARK The serious consequences of its use extend far beyond to individual health. More than 160,000 deaths are caused by smoking-related diseases each year, which is 1.6 percent of the country’s GDP each year.
Dr Khalil urged the government to take proactive steps to protect public health and prevent the tobacco industry from exploiting children and low-income groups. He said that we demand that the authorities reject any proposal that threatens the health and well-being of our citizens.
