ISLAMABAD (June 02, 2022): The tobacco use is heavily damaging environment and causing serious threat to human lives. There was urgent need to take stringent measures to protect environment and human lives. Experts gave these views at a Roundtable oorganized by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) in collaboration with the Ministry of National Health Services Regulations here on Thursday.
Health expert, Dr Minhaj-us-Siraj , urged upon the environmental activists and the government to stop tobacco industry for its role in degrading the environment. He said that 2.8 tons of firewood is annually consumed in roasting tobacco alone while 30 million tree barks are consumed in producing the packaging of cigarettes alone.
Dr Amina Khan lamented the tobacco industry was blindly focusing profit generation and using corporate social responsibility for positive image building irrespective of the environmental damage caused by this sector. She added that a cigarette butt takes 18 months to 2 years to degrade while the residue remains in the environment as second, third, and fourth-hand smoke.
Mr Asif Iqbal, Executive Director SPDC, was of view that the cigarette companies were responsible for $3.85 billion worth burden on health sector yet only 700 million of tax was generated from this sector.
Ms Saba Amjad, COO, Heartfile, said that the tobacco industry is capturing bigger market by rebounding itself through innovations in nicotine products.
Representing World Wide Fund, Dr Imran Khalid said that the aim of CSR activities has shifted to green washing the environmental damage caused by tobacco industry.
Ms Mome Saleem, Executive Director, Institute of Urbanism, asserted that tobacco industry was challenging the traditional cash crops due to its land use and resource consumption. She further said that the sector should be viewed in terms of its greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprint as cigarettes are not essential items.
Mr Shahzad Alam from World Health Organization informed the participants that there are 30 million smokers in Pakistan and daily 450 people lose their lives to cigarettes. The challenges posed by tobacco sector are further intensifying due to the innovations in nicotine products, he added.
Dr Samra Mazhat from Ministry of National Health Services Regulations highlighted that policing cigarette consumption at public places is difficult. “We need to strengthen implementation mechanism for legislation on tobacco control, extending regulatory control at public spaces to traffic police,” she added.
