• Terms tobacco sellers ‘merchants of death’
• Urges parents, teachers, health workers to raise awareness

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has underlined the need for effective legislation against tobacco use to protect people and future generations from the hazards of the “killer addiction”.

“The time has come that, besides other issues, the national parliament and provincial legislatures should make laws and create effective enforcement mechanisms against tobacco use in order to protect our people and future generations and effectively resist the merchants of death,” the president said in his message on World No Tobacco Day, observed on May 31.

He said that besides parliament and the government, pa­­­r­­ents, teachers, artists, poets, singers, musicians, actors, pla­y­­­­­­w­­­rights, healthcare professionals and community leaders all had a role in shaping awa­­­­reness, discouraging the use of tobacco products and creating an ecosystem to protect people.

He said change at the household and community level cou­ld contribute meaningfully to national progress in public health. “As your elder and as your head of state, I must tell you that this day is a reminder of our shared responsibility to protect current and future generations from the harms of tobacco products,” President Zardari said.

He said the World Health Organisation estimated that tobacco caused more than seven million deaths every year worldwide, including about 1.6 million deaths from second-hand smoke exposure.

“These figures should compel us to reflect on the scale of a public health challenge that continues to affect millions of people and families,” he said.

The president said children and young people remained particularly vulnerable as the tobacco and nicotine industry continued to target younger generations through evolving products and marketing approaches designed to create and sustain addiction.

He said early exposure to nicotine heightened the risk of lifelong dependence and adverse health outcomes.

President Zardari said the latest research showed that, globally and in Pakistan, the use of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, vaping devices, nicotine pouches and other nicotine products presented growing public health concerns.

He said there was also evidence of concerning patterns of poly-substance use, where tobacco and nicotine products could coexist with other harmful substances, creating serious risks for young people and communities. He stressed that stronger awareness, regulation and prevention efforts were essential to check tobacco use.

He said widespread second-hand smoke exposure increased children’s vulnerability to asthma, pneumonia, ear infections, low birth weight and sudden infant death. The impact extended beyond health, placing a heavy burden on families and health systems, he added.

The president said tobacco products were also closely linked with a growing burden of non-communicable diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer and chronic respiratory conditions.

Referring to the financial impact of tobacco-related illnesses, he said the issue was not abstract for many households. A working-age parent falling ill, repeated hospital visits, the cost of long-term treatment and reduced earning capacity could quickly strain already limited household resources, he said.

Published in Dawn, May 31th, 2026