ISLAMABAD: Sana Ullah Ghumman, general secretary and director operations, Pakistan National Heart Association (PANAH), has said the tobacco industry misleads policymakers in the name of generating more revenue than others. He said showbiz actors, singers and athletes attract children by promoting smoking,
Mr Ghuman said :We all have to expose this misleading propaganda of the Tobacco industry”.
Mr Ghuman said this during a press conference organized by PANAH, Deputy Director Ministry of National Health Services, Dr. Samra Mazhar, Vice Chancellor Health Services Academy Islamabad Prof. Dr. Shehzad Ali Khan participated as special guests, Punjab Advisory Committee Chairperson Iram Mumtaz, NDOK Chairperson and former MPA Tehseen Fawad, SPARC’s Khalil Ahmed, Chromatic’s Sharq Khan and others participated as guests.
Addressing the participants of the press conference, Sana Ullah Ghumman said the children are the future and the tobacco industry is adopting various tactics to push them towards diseases.
According to The Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), the availability of cheap cigarettes in Pakistan is a major cause of smoking among the youth, it noted 60 percent of smokers start smoking during adolescence. Institute (SDPI),
The annual consumption of cigarettes in Pakistan was 86.6 billion.This is a worrying moment. On the other hand, the tobacco industry is misleading the government by claiming a loss of Rs 77 billion on illicit trade.
Given the fact that the illicit trade in tobacco in the country is not more than 10 to 15 percent, if the illicit trade had exceeded the limit, any copyright case would have been registered by the tobacco industry by the time of repentance.
The cigarette consumption increased by 90% in 2017-18 after the implementation of the third tier due to poor strategy.
A recent report of the World Bank declared 30% FED as mandatory every year to reduce tobacco consumption and increase revenue in Pakistan. The annual revenue of Rs. 134 billion will be achieved.
Guest of Honor Deputy Director Ministry of National Health Services Dr. Samra Mazharne , said health of the nation is the basic duty of the government.As we are aware, laws are being strengthened to prevent health hazards, children are our future, every propaganda will be exposed to save our children.
Vice Chancellor Health Services Academy Islamabad Prof. Dr. Shehzad Ali Khan said that children of the nation are the priority of the government, effective measures should be taken to protect young boys and girls from tobacco, health cannot be compromised in any way, prevention of health hazards. Effective action is a matter of urgency. Positive PANAH efforts will not go in vain. We are with PANAH seekers.
Punjab Advisory Committee Chairperson Iram Mumtaz, NDOC Chairperson and former MPA Tehseen Fawad, SPARC’s Khalil Ahmed, Chromatic’s Sharq Khan and others said that smoking is the first step towards drug addiction.We have to think about the role that drug addicted girls will play in becoming mothers tomorrow? Children are the capital of any nation,Tobacco is a menace.
The tobacco industry is targeting the children, especially girls. Many studies claim increased taxation will help solve many health problems.