ISLAMABAD: Anti-tobacco advocates have urged the government to take measures to reduce the consumption of cigarettes because of the risks associated with Covid-19 for smokers.

They have called for imposing a health levy to raise cigarette prices, an effective method of decreasing cigarette consumption while generating revenue.

Dr Javed Khan, a chest physician at Aga Khan University, told Dawn that there are a number of international studies according to which the risk factor of pneumonia is greater among people who smoke, while smokers are also 14pc more likely to require ventilators than non-smokers.

“Cigarettes and various types of tobacco have around 4,700 other chemicals, and those chemicals destroy the hair-like structures in lungs called cilia because of which people become more vulnerable to infections and diseases. Even mucusmembersto which cilia are attached are dried by smoking, so the human body’s defence system is affected or destroyed,” he said.

Dr Khan said that a recent study in China observed that more men died of Covid-19 than woman because theratio of smokingwas higher among men.

Last week, World Health Organisation Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also warned about the dangers of smoking associated with Covid-19.

In a video statement, he said: “During this difficult time there is need to continue looking after your physical and mental health.

Have healthy and nutritious diet which helps your immune system properly. Limit your alcohol content and avoid sugary drinks. Don’t smoke as smoking can increase the risk of developing savior diseases if you are infected with Covid-19,”

A representative of the NGO Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, Malik Imran said that the government should impose a tobacco surcharge or health levy to increase revenue and decrease cigarette consumption.

“According to our estimates this would increase government revenue by Rs50 billion. The current annual burden of tobacco related diseases, which is Rs190bn in Pakistan, can be reduced to Rs120bn. The step will also enable Pakistan to spend more on the health sector and combat Covid-19,” he said.

Pakistan National Heart Association Secretary General Sanaullah Ghumman said that, as his association is running Covid-19 treatment centres, smokers face greater complications than non-smokers.

Referring to studies by organisations in the UK and the US, he said that smokers were at higher risk from the coronavirus because tobacco use damages the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.

Published in Dawn, April 2nd, 2020