ISLAMABAD:Health Expert Friday said that ‘digital awareness campaigns’ to empower youth between ages fourteen to eighteen to discourage the ‘modern tobacco products use’ especially nicotine pouches which increase the risk of different kinds of respiratory diseases.
Talking to the PTV News, Clinical Psychologist and addiction therapist Dr Sana Aslam highlighted that this was present society’s acceptance and easy availability of smoke trends which was leading to high prevalence among youngsters.
She mentioned lifestyle modifications, outdoor health promotion activities and the need for stronger implementation of legislative orders for the prevention of smoking, adding, that we need collective efforts among all stakeholders such as parents, schools and healthcare experts to effectively combat this growing problem.
She further shed light that these modern and sleek products which have a fashion element to them, have gained increased accessibility and affordability, despite lacking essential health warnings and
posing significant health risks.
Experts said that urgent need for comprehensive action to counteract the pervasive influence of these products, adding that modern products are harmful because they contain nicotine, which is the first step to many other forms of drug addiction and can cause serious physical and mental health problems in young generations.
To save the nation from undoing, we should produce awareness among youths about the negative effects of smoking, she said, adding, that smoking socially or occasionally, is generally seen as safer particularly put side by side with people who smoke a pack a day or more.
Students have made it fashionable to smoke in everyday life; even they know that smoking some serious heart, and blood problems and cancer, she mentioned.
‘Smokers should be encouraged to correct their misconception that smoking elates moods, reduces stress and provides comfort,’ Dr added.