Achi news desk-
Murtaza Solangi emphasizes the need to increase taxes on tobacco products to save youth, economy
ISLAMABAD (92 News) – The former Minister of Care for Information and Broadcasting Murtaza Solangi has emphasized the urgent need to increase taxes on tobacco products to save the Pakistani youth and economy.
In a concerted effort to address the urgent issue of tobacco consumption in Pakistan, the Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC) organized an event to celebrate World No Tobacco Day 2024. The event aimed to highlight the voices of youth against big tobacco.
Addressing the participants of the event, Pakistan’s former Caretaker Minister of Information and Broadcasting Murtaza Solangi shared that Pakistan has the largest generation of young people ever recorded in national history. “However due to relaxed tobacco control policy in Pakistan, this group is being severely exploited by the tobacco industry, putting their health and future at serious risk.”
He said addiction to tobacco and nicotine was a gateway to many other forms of substance abuse and could cause serious health and mental health problems in young people. If the efforts of the tobacco industry to attract young customers are not kept under control through appropriate mechanisms, they will grow more powerful and continue to be the cause of death and disease in the country.
The former caretaker minister further said that Pakistan faces a significant challenge with widespread tobacco use, with over 31.9 million adults aged 15 and above identified as current tobacco users, which is nearly 19.7% of the adult population. Smoking-related illnesses claim over 160,000 lives each year, the World Health Organization and the World Bank have consistently recommended that Pakistan improve its tobacco taxes.
Malik Imran Ahmad, Head of the Campaign for Tobacco Free Children (CTFK), said that a 26.6% increase in the FED for the financial year 2024-25 appears to be a significant step forward. Not only could it help recover a significant portion of health care costs, but it also has the potential to prevent hundreds of thousands of individuals from smoking. In addition, the anticipated revenue increase could be valuable for financing various public health initiatives and strengthening the national economy.
