KARACHI, Oct 22: Eighty per cent of the patients who have had heart attacks and who are admitted to the National Institute of Cardio-Vascular Disease are regular smokers. This underlines the high risk involved in consuming tobacco.
This was stated by a senior doctor at a seminar titled “tobacco: major threat to public health in Pakistan” on Wednesday at the Aga Khan University. Prof M. Ishaq said about 70 per cent of the patients admitted to one of the NICVD’s wards were admitted after suffering from a heart attack.
The professor said the prevalence of smoking was rising sharply in Pakistan. “The number of people suffering from various heart ailments is also increasing,” he said.
In 1966, some 202 people were admitted after confirmed diagnosis of ischemic heart disease. In 1997, this number had jumped up to 14,008.
However, according to a study, heart diseases and strokes have been identified as two of the 10 most serious afflictions among people in the slums of Karachi.
Dr Irfan Vaziri said 85 to 90 per cent of the people having lung cancer were smokers.
Contrary to the trends in the developed countries, consumption of tobacco is getting increasingly popular in Pakistan, he said, adding “what is particularly sad for us, as healthcare professionals, is the rising number of young people between 20 to 25 suffering from serious diseases because of regular use of tobacco.”
The smokers were not only predisposed to lung and heart problems, but might also suffer from mouth, neck, esophegal, bladder, kidney and pancreatic cancers, said Dr Vaziri.
Prof Javaid A. Khan said 40 per cent of Pakistani men and eight per cent of the women consume cigarettes regularly.
“As a result of the aggressive marketing techniques of the tobacco firms, 1,500 children are taking up smoking everyday in the country,” he added.
Prof Sirajudaula said tobacco was responsible for 50 per cent of all cancers in Pakistan, yet cigarettes were being promoted on TV. “When Bangladesh and India can ban advertising of cigarettes, why can’t Pakistan.
“Is revenue, more important than human lives?” He demanded a complete ban on tobacco advertisements. He also talked at length about the lip and mouth cancers.
Dr S. Fayyaz Hussain said the ill-effects of tobacco were well documented. Tobacco contains hundreds of poisonous chemicals. He pointed out that there was no such thing as a “safe cigarette”.
Tobacco, he said, was as addictive as other addictive substances but was more lethal.
Marie Andrades spoke on the need to encourage smokers to quit smoking. She said relapse rate was very high. “That’s why, the smokers should never stop trying to quit smoking”.
Irfan Motala gave a presentation about the Nicotine Replacement and Nicotine Substitution Therapies. He said in the Pakistani market chewing gums and patches were available which might be used in an effort to get rid of the dangerous habit.
A short documentary was also screened on the occasion that featured some people who had stopped smoking. The documentary was prepared by Farida Dattu.
At the seminar, it was decided that the first of Ramazan be declared as the “National Quit Smoking Day”. The speakers urged the smokers to stop smoking during the holy month and to maintain this change in their habit throughout the rest of their lives.
