ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) on Monday declared the Pakistan Monument and the Lok Virsa Complex ‘tobacco smoke-free zones’.

The decision will increase the number of public places in the capital where smoking is prohibited to 214.

At the monument, NHS Minister Aamer Mehmood Kiani said: “A healthy and smoke-free environment in public places, healthcare establishments, educational institutes and on public transport is our collective responsibility, legal obligation and moral duty.

“It will be protecting our next generation from ill health and indulging risky behaviour for which smoking cigarettes is the first step.”

Ministry’s decision brings number of no-smoking public places in capital to 214

While discussing the burden of tobacco use, the minister said Pakistan is among fifteen countries in the world with a heavy burden of tobacco-related ill health.

According to an official statement from the ministry, the 2014 Global Adult Tobacco Survey found that around 24 million Pakistani adults use tobacco in any form.

Tobacco prevalence among young people is 10.7pc, and tobacco kills around 160,000 Pakistanis each year, the ministry said.

It added that the ministry’s tobacco control cell is taking demand and supply reduction measures to reduce tobacco use in the country, including banning the sale of lose cigarettes, notifying 60pc pictorial health warnings on cigarette packs and banning shisha imports.

The minister said the government has begun the Tobacco Smoke Free Capital initiative to protect the population from deadly diseases, such as cancer.

He said the World Health Organisation’s country office, The Union and the International Atomic Energy Agency “are constantly providing us the technical support, and this activity has made its impressions on the International Community of Public Health due to its innovative approaches.”

Mr Kiani said the ministry is in the process of developing a National Cancer Control Plan, and one of the large building blocks for cancer prevention and control is smoke-free environments in public places and on public transport.

He said the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council will develop the ‘health hazards of tobacco use’ subject for basic medical education.

Earlier, Tobacco Smoke Free Capital Project Director Dr Minhajur Siraj gave a detailed presentation on the initiative.

A representative of the Pakistan National Hearts Association told Dawn that the tobacco industry cost the exchequer Rs153 billion between 2016 and 2019 by being awarded a low tax rate and adjusting the prices of their most popular brands.

“Almost 90pc of all brands consumed in Pakistan were taxed in the lower tier under the previous tax system [FY 2016-17].

“If their prices had remained the same, [89pc of them] would have automatically been reclassified as [in the] medium [tier]. However, we find that big tobacco companies made deliberate adjustments in prices resulted in a significant price reduction, causing 88pc of the market to be taxed at the new lowest rate in the current tax system,” he said.

Mr Imran claimed that after the introduction of the third tier, around 160 billion cigarettes were produced between May 2017 and March 2019.

The share of big tobacco companies was 75pc of the total market, which means they were able to sell 120 billion cigarettes in the same period, but taxes were reducing by the third tier.

“We suggest that the ministry play its role to increase the tax because a large number of people would quit smoking and their lives will be protected from chronic diseases,” he said.

Published in Dawn, April 16th, 2019