KARACHI, Sept 30: Physicians have urged the masses to make the beginning of the holy month of Ramazan as an opportunity to quit smoking and tobacco use, which in one or the other form casting adverse effects on their health and of those around them.

These views were expressed by prominent chest physicians during a press conference held at the Karachi Press Club here on Friday.

Head of Chest Medicine Department, Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Center, Dr Nadeem Rizvi, Consultant Chest Physician - Aga Khan University, Dr Javaid A Khan, Clinical Secretary, Pakistan Association of Chest Physician and In charge, Chest Medicine Department, Sindh Government Hospital - Korangi, Dr Shakeel Siddiqui and Dr Mohammad Hussain, Consultant Chest Physician, Liaquat National Hospital were present on the occasion.

They also stressed the need for strict implementation of the Anti-smoking Ordinance across the country.

They mentioned that first of Ramazan was being celebrated as National Quit Smoking Day across the country and particularly urged religious scholars to educate the masses about the severe consequences of smoking.

Dr Javaid A Khan in his presentation attributed tobacco use, in one or the other form, responsible for 100,000 deaths across the country annually.

Dr Khan regretted that tobacco companies in Pakistan were given free hand to promote powerful addiction substance among the local youth consequently around 1,500 children were taking up smoking every day in Pakistan.

A recent WHO research revealed that the current annual death toll attributable to tobacco would rise to 10 million deaths per year by 2025 against the current five million deaths, he said.

Prof Nadeem Rizvi said that tobacco use in the form of gutka and pan masala was also very common in Pakistan and was a major cause of head, neck and mouth cancers.

“Ramazan is an excellent opportunity for Muslims to get rid of all bad habits as smoking, tobacco chewing, intake of pan and other such products,” he said.

Prof Rizvi regretted the fact that in the presence of an anti-smoking law which prohibited smoking at public places, it was rarely implemented.

Dr Mohammad Hussain said smoking was not approved under any religion as it paved way towards addiction.

He referred to different fatwas prohibiting smoking in different Muslim countries.—APP