Islamabad: A two-day national workshop was held in Islamabad by SPARC, an organisation working to protect children’s rights, in which health experts, government officials, civil society and youth representatives expressed concern over the increasing smoking in Pakistan. society,
The workshop aimed to review Pakistan’s progress under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) and make suggestions for its effective implementation in the future.
Murtaza Solangi, spokesperson for the President of Pakistan and former caretaker information minister, said that smoking has still become a global epidemic that kills more than 8 million people every year. He said that more than 27 million people in Pakistan use tobacco, and as a result, more than 166,000 deaths are reported annually.
“These figures are alarming. Pakistan should immediately impose a complete ban on tobacco use and its advertising,” he said.
Dr Khalil Ahmed Dogar, Program Manager, SPARK, said that the government has taken some positive steps in the tobacco sector, but implementation needs to be strengthened. According to him, ending all advertising campaigns targeting youth is the need of the hour.
At the end of the workshop, the participants appealed to the government, civil society, and the media to jointly play their role in establishing a tobacco-free Pakistan through awareness campaigns and strict laws.
