June 01, 2008	Sunday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 26, 1429

ISLAMABAD, May 31: To reduce health and financial losses to people, a civil society organisation on Saturday proposed that the government should raise taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products to make them less affordable to people and use pictorial warnings besides banning sale of loose cigarettes.

The suggestions were made by the Network for Consumer Protection at a press conference to mark the World Tobacco Day here on Saturday.

It urged that promotion of free sample distribution be banned, pictorial warnings be placed on tobacco products, which would make the health hazards of tobacco understandable. This had been done in several countries including India.

It also demanded that sale of cigarettes to minors be strictly banned, designated smoking areas be abolished, chemical contents present in cigarettes be inscribed on the cigarette packs, advertisement and promotion through misleading promotion should be stopped.

It went as far as suggesting that alternative crops be encouraged instead of growing tobacco.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Talib Lashari, Executive Coordinator of the Network, said according to WHO over five million deaths occurred due to tobacco use in the world in 2005 alone - at an average of one death every six seconds.

The death toll was projected to reach more than eight million by 2030 if current trends continued.

Citing statistics, he said according to a WHO report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic 2008, in Pakistan youth prevalence of tobacco use among 13-15 years of age was 12.4 per cent in males and 7.5 per cent in females.

The report also said 19 per cent of youth of 18 years used tobacco daily of which 4.4 per cent were females and 27.3 per cent males. In Pakistan’s perspective, there were no bans imposed on advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products in print and electronic media, outdoor advertising, internet, free distribution, promotional discounts, non-tobacco products with tobacco brand names and non-tobacco brand used for tobacco product.

Dr Lashari stressed that the revenue generated from tobacco should be compared with expenditure on diseases caused from tobacco use and consequent economic loss.