Recent efforts to raise awareness about the dangers of smoking and to restrict access to tobacco products, especially near schools, have remained fragmented due to the absence of a full-scale national strategy. Retailers still find ways to sell cigarettes and other tobacco products to minors, while young people easily circumvent existing rules.
If this issue is left unaddressed, chain smoking may ensnare an entire generation in lifelong addiction. Globally, tobacco use is responsible for more than 8 million deaths each year, according to the World Health Organization.
In Pakistan alone, approximately 163,000 people die annually from tobacco-related causes, and 1,000 to 1,200 children begin smoking every day, some as young as six. Early initiation dramatically increases the likelihood of chronic respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular disease, long-term dependency and a significant reduction in life expectancy — with studies showing smokers often lose 6 to 10 years of life compared to non-smokers.
Legal and regulatory responses must be proactive, not reactive. Now is the moment for clear, coordinated policy, backed by robust enforcement and political will that prioritises public health over commercial interests. Pakistan must act decisively now to protect its young population before the next health crisis takes root in their lungs.
Aqsa Shoaib
Karachi
