KARACHI, Nov 12: Despite tall claims regarding fighting smoking, the use of tobacco, especially amongst youth, seemed on a steep rise and this grim situation warrants firm action instead of unending discussions.

Experts say that tobacco is the single largest preventable cause of disease and death in Pakistan.

Though any authentic data on cigarette-related deaths and diseases is not available, a report of Tobacco Free Initiative-Pakistan suggests that tobacco causes around 100,000 deaths annually, while thousands of others, including women and children, suffer from chronic tobacco-related diseases.

Almost 50 per cent of the adult population, mostly from amongst the poor, smokes. Smoking not only causes premature deaths but also affects the health of non-smokers at home, in their workplace or when they travel.

According to the Pakistan Medical Association, smoking causes approximately 80 to 85 per cent of lung, laryngeal, mouth and tongue cancers, besides other common cardiac and lung problems. Smoking kills a smoker after every eight seconds and if action is not taken now, the current global death toll from tobacco, four million deaths per year, will increase to 10 million by the end of current year.

Around 1,200 people take up this habit daily in Pakistan due to aggressive advertising campaign of tobacco industry, which prepares ads for cigarettes and other products to attract youngsters, believing them to be its main consumers.

According to a survey conducted by the Tobacco Free Initiative-Pakistan, 27 per cent of young smokers aged between 15 and 25 said they started smoking because of advertisements in media and billboards.

The survey also revealed that though the average age of starting smoking happened to be 21, 22.5 per cent of them were smoking for more than five years, meaning a sizable chunk of them started smoking at the age of 17. It is also estimated that around 13 per cent of women smoke in Pakistan.

The government has passed the Prohibition of Smoking at Public Places and Protection of Non-smokers Health Ordinance of 2002, which is aimed at restricting promotional campaigns of the tobacco industry. This law is the first statutory move to regularize promotional campaigns of the tobacco industry.

According to the Tobacco Statistical Bulletin 1994, there were 32 tobacco companies having 38 cigarette manufacturing factories with an installed capacity of over 87 billion sticks per annum. The NWFP has 25 factories with installed annual capacity of more than 35 billion sticks. The nine factories in Sindh and four in Punjab have annual capacities of nearly 22 billion sticks and nearly 30 billion sticks, respectively.

Despite numerous health and economic costs, the consumption of cigarettes continues to rise in Pakistan and aggressive tobacco promotion continues denying consumers right to basic needs, right to safety of products and right to independent information.

In Pakistan, it is said, tobacco is grown in surplus than actually consumed by the smokers. Last year, the area covered by the tobacco crop was around 51,600 hectares producing a total of 95,600 metric tons. The requirement as announced by the tobacco companies is 38,906 metric tones. The difference in production and that required by the regulated sector is almost three times. Over 50 per cent of tobacco is grown in three districts (i.e. Swabi, Charsada and Mardan).

Experts and anti-smoking activists say that unless the government show strong political will and translate its commitments into solid action, the menace of smoking could not be eliminated merely by tall claims or catchy slogans. —PPI