ISLAMABAD: On the eve of second anniversary of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s decision to enlarge the size of pictorial health warning on cigarettes packets to 85pc, non-governmental organisations on Wednesday called upon the prime minister to enforce his decision.

Chief Executive Officer of The Network for Consumer Protection Nadeem Iqbal said if the decision was implemented, Pakistan would cross Sri Lanka and will remain a little behind Nepal that has enlarged the pictorial warning size to 90pc and become the world leader.

He said March 30 will be the second anniversary of PM’s decision to enforce 85pc pictorial warning size from the current 40pc on cigarette pack.

“The PM’s decision was announced by Minister of State for National Health Services (NHS) Saira Afzal Tarar. If the decision to enlarge the pictorial warning size is implemented Pakistan can become 3rd country after Nepal and Vanuatu which have a large pictorial warning size,” he said.

The National Coordinator of Coalition for Tobacco Control (CTC) Khurram Hashmi said Pakistan had shown exemplary commitment to tobacco control in the last couple of years.

“We declared ban on shisha smoking and restricted tobacco products advertisements. Pakistan announced the new 85pc pictorial warning.

“However, after two years, we are still waiting for the enforcement of this new enhanced health warning size on cigarette packs,” he said.

A public health expert Ms Sana Azmat while expressing her views said: “Every cigarette manufacturing company in Pakistan understands the power of their product designing and packaging and they use it strategically to not only increase its sale but to attract new smokers as it is one of the few legal tools they can still use for marketing purposes.”

According to WHO report on tobacco consumption in Pakistan, nearly 108,000 people lose their lives annually due to smoking only while 1,200 youth and children suffer from tobacco related diseases daily.

Published in Dawn, March 30th, 2017