This is to draw the attention of the authorities to a serious problem. The number of smokers in Pakistan has reached over 29 million. The problem, however, is that people have a hard time quitting – even when they want to. A recent survey by Foresight Research showed that around 86 percent of smokers wanted to quit cigarettes but were unsuccessful. It also claimed that 95 percent of respondents felt that switching to alternatives would help them quit. However, in Pakistan, there are few affordable alternatives and smokers are mostly left on their own when it comes to quitting smoking.
Many are clueless about where and how they should seek assistance. For Pakistan to achieve its tobacco control targets and to ensure the wellbeing of its smokers, it is imperative that policymakers make effective cessation services accessible and affordable. Moreover, non-combustible alternatives should be made a part of the national tobacco control policy.
Talal Siddiqui
Karachi
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