KARACHI:
The unabated illegal sale of cigarettes in Pakistan is threatening public health, nullifying the government’s tobacco control initiatives, and harming the economy due to tax evasion. Many illegal cigarettes companies are continuously violating the laws on the sale of cigarettes through promotional material, incentivising retailers, and reward schemes for consumers not only in far-flung areas but also in big cities across the country including Karachi, Islamabad, Hyderabad, Multan, etc.
Retailers have also ignored government prohibitions and continued selling cigarettes to minors. According to official statistics, children between the ages of 6 and 15 have begun smoking on a daily basis. This proves that tobacco control laws are openly violated. Many locally produced and illegally smuggled cigarette packets do not have any health warnings on them. The official statistics from the National Health Services have revealed that non-communicable diseases including heart and lung diseases, stroke cancer, and diabetes account for 68% of diseases in Pakistan.
The authorities must crack down on those violating the laws and alleviate the illegal sales of cigarettes before it is too late. The government should enforce the implementation of a track and trace system in illegal cigarette companies to prevent tax evasion of nearly Rs80 billion and to minimise the illegal sale of cigarettes to reduce serious health implications.
Usama Ghulam Rasool
Karachi
Published in The Express Tribune, November 22nd, 2022.
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