KARACHI: Health exp­erts at a meeting held on Tuesday expressed serious concern over the recent media reports suggesting that the federal government was considering the option to lower taxes on cigarettes in the upcoming budget.

If the suggestion was approved, the government move would prove to be a public health disaster as tobacco-related diseases had already taken the form of an epidemic in the country, they said, regretting the closure of Tobacco Control Cell in Islamabad which was working under the health ministry.

The meeting was attended by representatives of the National Allia­nce for Tobacco Control (NATC), the Pakistan Chest Society (PCS), Pakis­tan Islamic Medical Associ­ation (PIMA) and the Pakistan Medical Associa­tion (PMA).

Pakistan, according to them, is one of the developing countries where cigarette smoking is increasing every year. The World Health Organisation estimates that every adult consumes 510 cigarettes on an average every year in Pakistan, which is alarming.

“Cigarette smoking kills 100,000 Pakistanis every year. This death toll is far greater than the total deaths caused by suicide bombings, traffic accidents and crime-related killings in a given year.

“Significant increases in tobacco taxes have been proven to be a highly effective tobacco-control strategy the world over and lead to significant improvements in public health,” Prof Javaid Khan, consultant chest physician at the Aga Khan University and NATC chairman, said.

Taxes on cigarettes in Pakistan were currently the lowest in the region. A lower taxation rate encouraged the public, especially the youth, towards cigarette smoking, he said, citing a World Bank study according to which an increase in taxes by 10 per cent could reduce tobacco consumption by eight per cent in a low-income country like Pakistan.

Sharing his concerns, Prof Nadeem A. Rizvi heading the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre’s department of chest diseases said tobacco was responsible for almost 50pc of all cancer cases in the country, yet smoking was still being advertised and encouraged widely in the country, particularly on television as a pleasurable, cool, glamorous and adventurous act.

He demanded a comprehensive ban on all forms of tobacco advertising and sponsorship in the country.

Dr Nisar Rao of the Dow University of Health Sciences said that passive smoking was a serious health risk to non-smokers. He underlined the need for making all public places and public transport smoke-free.

Dr Sohail Akhter representing PIMA urged the legal fraternity to come forward and help in litigation against the tobacco industry for its violations of anti-tobacco laws in the country.

Published in Dawn, May 17th, 2017