KARACHI, Oct 31: The Pakistan Chest Society (Sindh) in collaboration with the Pakistan Anti-Tobacco Coalition and other institutions have launched a nationwide campaign to mark Ist of Ramazan as a ‘national quit smoking day’, says a press release.

The press release adds that it is for obvious reason because Ramazan is the month of self-control and teaches and trains us to be pious, virtuous, considerate and helping to ourselves to our brethren, our neighbours and never hurt anybody in anyway.

This was stated by Dr Nadeem Rizvi, president, Pakistan Chest Society (Sindh), at a press conference held to apprise the people of the smoking hazards.

He said smoking was one such thing that severely hurt and harmed the person smoking and the persons around, whether in house, in public places, in public transport or anywhere people converged close to one another.

Dr Javaid Khan, general secretary, Pakistan Chest Society, addressing the gathering said that smoking was the largest preventable cause of disease, disability and premature death even today. “In the year 2001 about four million in the world died due to tobacco related diseases. If current pattern continues, the death toll will rise to 10 million and 70 per cent will be in third-world countries. According to 1994 survey in Pakistan 42 adult males are smokers.”

He said Pakistan was facing double burden of diseases. On the one hand it was losing the war against the infectious diseases and, on the other, the problem of chronic disease, including a significant proportion of tobacco-related diseases, was piling up.

Dr Abur-Rashid, head of the department of Islamic University of Karachi, quoted verses from the Quran. He stated that the use of tobacco was un-Islamic. He said smoking was anti-Islamic for the following reasons: squandering money on wasteful habit, spending to harm oneself and harm others as it was a social vice, etc.

Dr Sajid of the Pakistan Anti-Tobacco Coalition said that smoking served as a springboard for other bad habits. It entailed other types of intoxication. Smoker emits bad and nauseating mouth odour, thus hurting persons around him.

Dr Zaffaryab Hussain of the Chest K.V. Site Hospital highlighted the hazards of smoking and tobacco consumption. He said smoking led to irritating eyes, nose and throat. It was responsible for headaches, angina, heart attack, hypertension, palpitation, bad oral taste and respiratory infections like pneumonia, cough, asthma, glue ear, growth of retardation in children.

Dr Sohail Akhter, head of Baqai Institute of Chest Disease, expressing his views stated that it retarded the suppression of infectious diseases and made recovery delayed or difficult. “It is because of this that it is now being condemned worldwide. Western countries which promoted smoking for their commercial undertakings are now shunning it. In their permissive society where every vice is rife, smoking is on decline.”