Tobacco an industry designed to kill half its users

Islamabad:Experts, policymakers and academics stressed the need for urgent reforms in taxation and regulations as the tobacco industry continues to sidestep enforcement, target youth and dilute anti-smoking efforts.

The roundtable spotlighting Pakistan’s faltering tobacco control efforts was organised here by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) in collaboration with Vital Strategies on Fr hosted a high-stakes roundtable spotlighting Pakistan’s faltering tobacco control efforts here. Dr Waseem Iftikhar Janjua, SDPI Advisor, unpacked the complex dynamics of Pakistan’s tobacco taxation, citing deliberate strategies by the tobacco industry such as differential shifting, overpricing, brand diversification and down-trading to maintain consumer addiction and evade taxes.

The industry is exploiting the lack of regulations, especially in e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches, he said, adding that there's a consistent failure to enforce policy due to limited capacity and regulatory ambiguity. He further said that the fight against tobacco is evolving. We are up against an industry designed to kill half its users—and it’s targeting our youth.”

Muhammad Asif Iqbal, Managing Director of SPDC, stressed the need for simplified, single-tier tobacco taxation to curb manipulation. “The primary goal of tobacco taxation should be to reduce consumption, especially among the youth,” he said. “The multi-tier tax system creates loopholes, enabling the industry to introduce variants and mislead both regulators and consumers.”

Dr Farah Rashid from NUST warned of alarming trends in youth smoking, with nicotine use starting as early as primary school. The issue, she stressed, is compounded by increasing exposure to unregulated products and targeted advertising. Dr Waseem Saleem of WHO’s MPOWER initiative critiqued Pakistan’s inconsistent approach to tobacco control, likening it to two steps forward and four steps back.