Pakistan

Pakistanis spend millions on death sticks daily

Ppi May 27, 2010

KARACHI: Approximately 24% male and 16% female college going students in Karachi are regular smokers and Pakistanis spend Rs 60 crore on cigarettes daily, stated Professor Javaid Khan.

Khan, chairman NATC and Head of Pulmonary Diseases at Aga Khan University Hospital, was addressing an audience of students from various medical colleges at the World No Tobacco seminar on Thursday. He strongly criticized the government for failing to take effective measures towards tobacco control while talking to students from various medical colleges.

He stated that tobacco and consequential diseases kill 100,000 in Pakistan every year - more than suicide bombings, road traffic accidents, honour killings and drug abuse combined and that tobacco is responsible for almost 50% of all cancer cases in the country.

Tobacco and consequential diseases kill 100,000 in Pakistan every year - more than suicidal bombing, road traffic accidents, honour killings and drug abuse combined. Tobacco is responsible for almost 50% of all cancer cases in the country.

He specifically underlined the role model status of doctors, and said that smoking by health professionals negates the anti-smoking message.

He stated that almost 30% of Pakistan's male medical students smoke, compared to less than 5% in the US, Canada and Australia. He emphasized that all medical college curriculums must include tobacco control and smoking cessation.

Khan called for a comprehensive ban on all forms of tobacco advertising as well as on the industry's sponsorship of sports and entertainment events.

COMMENTS (11)

IZ | 14 years ago | Reply "Approximately 24% male and 16% female college going students in Karachi are regular smokers...": I don't know what college they did their research in, but I'm fairly sure that you would be lucky to find any college in which 24% male students DON'T smoke!

Dr Javaid Khan | 14 years ago | Reply Whenever I talk to a teenager smoking and tell them that smoking is dangerous their usual response is "I know it all".When I ask a patient suffering from lung cancer or COPD "didn't you know that smoking could cause so much harm to your body?"Their response is always"I wished I knew that smoking is so dangerous.Whenever I read about smoking hazards I ignored and thought that this illness will not happen to me. Public need to know the real truth about tobacco.As a member of this society this is our duty to promote healthy lifestyle in the masses.

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Dr Javaid Khan | 14 years ago | Reply Weight gain is very common after quitting smoking.On average person who quit tobacco use gain about 6 kg in one year.However this wait gain should not discourage smokers from quitting this powerful addiction which kills 5.4 million people every year.This weight gain is far less dangerous the continued smoking.

Carol Hatton | 14 years ago | Reply I am a Canadian by birth who has smoked for 43 years, and it is with luck, or maybe by the grace of God, that I decided to stop! My family, in particular, tried to help me, mostly by critical statements, and as we all know, that's a useless solution! When a person goes to sleep at night and wheezes, no one needs to tell them that they're in trouble! That's what happened to me. I have been smoke free for the past six years, and although I cannot say that I notice any difference walking as far as breathlessness is concerned especially going up the stairs, the wheezing has definitely disappeared! Sadly, it would appear that I have replaced one addiction for another.... meaning I have put on a number of pounds since quitting smoking, and now I wonder which is the lessor of the two evils! Seems it's pretty difficult to win sometimes. After all we're only human! Write to me, I'll try to help you!

Syed A Mateen | 14 years ago | Reply To bring revolution in the society, the government should put a complete ban on manufacturing, sale and purchase of cigarettes to overcome this problem. Unless sale of cigarettes of various brands at the shops will continue, more people will be addicted in tobacco addiction. Despite warning printed on each packet of a cigarette, people ignore warning and smoke cigarettes. This is due to one simple reasons that sale of various brands of cigarettes, local and foreign made is allowed by the government in the country. On one hand government is allocating separate budget for health and on the other hand government is promoting anti-health activities by allowing cigarette’s sale in the open market to earn revenue from the people. Government’s policy seem to be a two edge sword.

Zunaib M Yousuf | 14 years ago | Reply I don't know what country but last week I read somewhere, whether one country or perhaps one state of United States came up with the policy to launch the anti-smoking campaigns by bounding all the manufacturers of the cigarette to put the pictures of surviving tobacco consumers or cancer patients or TB patients or some scary pictures means the condition rises after the use of Tobacco or smoking... None of the company was allowed to put their choice of pictures or make the pack colorful and the policy makers were anticipating at least 60% cut in the Tobacco sales just to cure the health of their people !!! On the contrary we do not have even one policy for Tobacco Sales... At least they could bind the shopkeepers not to sale the cigarettes in less than a box and selling single cigarettes should be completely restricted as well as under age tobacco sales should also be prohibited and the minimum age should be 23 years... Need to launch the operation against Gutkha, Main Puri and Manikchand, City or other harmful tobaccos imported from India !! Hope sooner they would start thinking about the peoples as well beside curing for their seats !!!

abcdedfghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz | 14 years ago | Reply Look who is talking! the same group that has sold billions of rupees worth of tobacco to pakistanis

Danish Butt | 14 years ago | Reply I can't understand the pleasure behind smoking or use of tobacco. Y ppl waste their money and health in smoking? I think government should put a ban on smoking and who ever does this should be fined heavily. This is the only way we can make our country a smoke free zone.

Sara Kazi | 14 years ago | Reply What a disturbingly sad reality. Makes one wonder how much smokers value, not only their lives, but those of others around them. Very sad.

Nabeel | Create Your First Website | 14 years ago | Reply "....almost 30% of Pakistan’s male medical students smoke" This is astonishing! Those who are studying in this field, should know better!! Rs 60 crore is being spend daily which is a sheer waste of money! I support Javaid Khan in his initiative. May his campaign succeed.

Shiraz Hassan | 14 years ago | Reply Hi this is very dangerous situation we must cut down the production n use of smoking campaigns should be launched against smoking

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