MULTAN: Alternative Research Institute (ARI) and its member organizations have demanded practical measures from federal and provincial governments to end tobacco consumption.
In a statement issued here on Wednesday, the project director of ARI, Arshad Ali Syed stated that many developed countries are progressing towards a tobacco-free future.
According to the World Health Organization, 80 pc of the world’s 1.3 billion tobacco users reside in low- and middle-income countries. Currently, 30.1 million people in Pakistan use tobacco in various forms, half of whom are cigarette smokers.
Mr Syed stated that the role of provincial governments is crucial in taking the first step towards tobacco cessation, but unfortunately, no action has been taken at the provincial level in this regard.
He said that the first step should be to provide facilities for tobacco cessation to adult tobacco users throughout Pakistan as a fundamental human right. He said that besides this, low-harm tobacco (tobacco harm reduction) shoul
d be included in tobacco control efforts.
He said that ARI and its member organizations support the steps taken by the government, including raising taxes on cigarettes to control tobacco consumption. He said there is a need to ensure that these measures are not limited to just these actions but are further advanced and utilized through new and more effective means.
He said that before setting the goal of ending tobacco consumption in Pakistan, an assessment of tobacco use in the country should be conducted, and provincial governments should take the lead in this regard.