‘World No Tobacco Day’ is observed on May 31 to encourage a one-day abstinence from all kinds of tobacco, as smoking is the second biggest cause of death globally. According to the World Health Organization, smoking kills more than 5 million people every year, including some 600,000 non-smokers who died from exposure to tobacco smoke.

In Pakistan, more than 100,000 people died from diseases caused by the use of tobacco last year, according to the Coalition of Tobacco Control in Pakistan.

Opinion

Editorial

Delicate balance
Updated 13 Mar, 2026

Delicate balance

PAKISTAN has to maintain a delicate balance where the geopolitics of the US-Israeli aggression against Iran are...
Soaring costs
13 Mar, 2026

Soaring costs

FOR millions of households already grappling with Ramazan inflation, the sharp increase in petrol and diesel prices...
Perilous lines
13 Mar, 2026

Perilous lines

THE law minister’s veiled warning to the media to “exercise caution” and not cross “red lines” while...
Collective security
Updated 12 Mar, 2026

Collective security

Regional states need to sit down and talk. They must also pledge and work towards collective security.
Spectrum leap
12 Mar, 2026

Spectrum leap

THE sale of 480 MHz of fifth-generation telecom spectrum for $507m is a major milestone in Pakistan’s digital...
Toxic fallout
12 Mar, 2026

Toxic fallout

WARS can leave environmental scars that remain long after the fighting is over. The strikes on Iran’s oil...