Authorities fail to implement ordinance

Rawalpindi

Tobacco smoking epidemic is spreading very rapidly in Pakistan, especially among our youth, and sooner the country’s political leadership takes cognisance of this reality and pumps the needed resources for an accelerated response to the challenge, the greater the chances of saving lives of millions of people.

Majority of restrictions on smoking and promotion of tobacco, enriched in Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non-Smokers Health Ordinance 2002 exist in the paper only. No sincere attempts have been made to implement this in the country. Instead, tobacco companies have been given a free hand to promote the deadly and addictive substance to the youth of Pakistan.

Head of Community Medicine at CMH Lahore Medical College Professor Dr Muhammad Ashraf Chaudhry expressed this while talking to ‘The News’ in connection with World No Tobacco Day to be observed on Tuesday (tomorrow) around the globe.

Every year, on May 31, the World Health Organisation and partners mark Word No Tobacco Day highlighting the health risks associated with tobacco use and advocating effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption. For World No Tobacco Day 2016, the WHO is calling countries to get ready for plain packaging of tobacco products. Plain packaging is an important demand reduction measure that reduces the attractiveness of tobacco products.

It is worth mention here that tobacco-related diseases kill 120,000 people in Pakistan every year – more than suicide bombing, road traffic accidents, honour killings and drug abuse combined. Major tobacco related diseases are lung cancer, heart diseases, high blood pressure, bad breath, gum diseases, depression, thyroid disease, harmful effects on bones and teeth, impotency, baldness and infertility in women.

Tobacco is nothing but other name of disease, death and disability, said Dr. Ashraf. He added that there are more than 4,000 chemicals in tobacco smoke, of which 250 are known to be harmful and more than 50 are known to cause cancer.

Studies reveal that Pakistanis smoked away Rs250 billion worth of cigarettes last year. Some 64 billion cigarettes were consumed during this period alone. Despite the Tobacco Control Ordinance 2002 and a number of Statutory Regulatory Orders by successive governments to control tobacco advertisement, the authorities seem helpless before the tobacco industry. Tobacco industry is using various tactics to counter government as well as civil society efforts aimed at comprehensive ban on tobacco advertisement, promotion and sponsorship (TAPS).

The government has yet to raise taxes on cigarettes as per the requirement of the WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control of which Pakistan is signatory.

Tobacco kills nearly 6 million people every year worldwide. Unless urgent action is taken, the annual death toll could rise to more than eight million by 2030. Tobacco killed 100 million people in the 20th century. If current trends continue, it may cause one billion deaths in the 21st century. Nearly 80 per cent of world’s one billion smokers live in low- and middle-income countries. Tobacco users who die prematurely deprive their families of income causing a socio-economic imbalance in a society.

Dr. Ashraf said Pakistanis burn away over 60 crore daily on cigarettes alone and equal amount on smokeless tobacco — Naswar, Paan, Pan Pasala, Gutka, Mainpuri, and the like: yet smoking is advertised as a pleasurable and ‘cool’ activity on shop-fronts and in youth magazines; TV drama serials also indirectly promote tobacco products.

Although according to anti-smoking law, every owner/manager/in-charge of every place of public work or use must display a signboard at a conspicuous place, in and outside the premises visited by the general public, stating that the place is a, ‘NO SMOKING ZONE’ and that ‘SMOKING IS AN OFFENCE’ but practically such signboard is hardly available at any public place including hotels and restaurants, he said while responding to a query.

It is important that tobacco industry in Pakistan is targeting youth by using different tactics such as providing colourful posters with catchy slogans to shop keepers, power walls, retailer incentives, branding of shops, well designed and brightly coloured cigarette packs and other promotional activities. Zero implementation of laws offers a fertile ground for the tobacco industry to expand its influences across all tiers of society, particularly youth.

According to Dr. Ashraf, Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non-Smokers Health Ordinance 2002 is not more than a piece of paper and has proved to be a lip service only during the last 14 years waiting for some sincere authority for its actual enforcement. Dependence on revenue generated from tobacco which is Rs80 billion per year, is a major impediment in the way of tobacco control, he said.

There is complete violation of Anti-Smoking Ordinance as smoking is now a common practice inside Parliament House, Senate and Assembly Halls, hotels and restaurants, said Dr. Ashraf.