Smoking leading cause of death

Doctors say healthy society key to national progress

ISLAMABAD:

With Pakistan one of the 15 countries in the world which use tobacco extensively, smoking is now a major killer, triggering heart attacks.

This was stated by doctors during a seminar in Islamabad on Friday.

Pakistan National Heart Association (PANAH) President Major-General (retired) Masoodur Rehman Kayani said that despite being a developing country, Pakistan extensively uses tobacco and that smoking is one of the main causes of various fatal ailments, including heart diseases.

He urged the government to formulate an effective and comprehensive policy to make the younger generation aware of the harmful impacts of smoking.

We are working tirelessly to provide medical assistance to people suffering from heart diseases, especially children, he said.

Pulmonologist, Chest and Intensive Care Specialist Dr Wajid Ali echoed Dr Kayani’s remarks, stating that tobacco was a cause of heart and other congenital diseases.

He went on to paint a grim picture, stating every six minutes, a person dies of a heart attack due to smoking.

‘Smoking kills thousands in Pakistan annually’

“It is a painful thing to have a heart attack every two minutes,” he said, adding that not only heart diseases but smoking also causes various ailments of the mouth, lung, oesophagal cancer, diabetes and stroke.

Around eight million people worldwide and more than 160,000 people in Pakistan die due to smoking every year, he said.

It is a matter of concern that no nation can develop without a healthy society. The government should formulate a policy to protect the people, especially the younger generation, from smoking.

Panah General Secretary Sanaullah Ghman said that according to a World Bank Group 2019 report, higher tobacco taxes could help lower-income societies to reduce tobacco consumption or stop using tobacco altogether, which

Campaign For Tobacco-free Kids Country Head Malik Imran said that Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan has allocated Rs4.87 billion in the budget for the” Sehat Sahulat Programme”, while a further Rs143.3 billion have been spent on tackling diseases caused by smoking.

If the government asks for a surcharge of Rs10 on every pack of cigarettes, which has also been approved by the Cabinet, it will generate a revenue of Rs40 billion., which will not only reduce tobacco use but also help launch various health care projects.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 29^th, 2020.