Govt urged to hike taxes on tobacco products

Health official says cigarette companies find new ways to attract youth

ISLAMABAD:

Director-General Health Dr Hassan Orooj has said that 22 million people in Pakistan smoke and cigarette companies find new ways and means to attract adults and youth.

Addressing a seminar organised by the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad/Capital Development Authority as part of the healthy city programme, he said that the deleterious effect of sheesha was a hundred times more than a cigarette.

“E-cigarette has been a new addition to lung cancer. Second-hand smoking is equally dangerous,” he said adding that Islamabad was performing well with regard to tobacco laws but with the growing population, new methods have been introduced by the cigarette industry.

He said that with low taxes and lack of proper guidance for youth, the cigarette menace may pervade rapidly if not checked. He appealed to the community activist and society members to raise awareness and help the directorate of health in the implementation of tobacco control laws.

Read: ECC sets minimum indicative price for tobacco

He said that one of the core reasons behind the mushroom sale of tobacco products especially cigarettes is less taxation. The FBR and the government must raise taxes on tobacco products.

Dr Hassan Orooj said, “We have registered Islamabad in the WHO healthy city network”. He said it was a matter of pride that among very few cities in the world, Islamabad is also registered. He said that the seminar is a part of a major component of partnership building and awareness creation among the inhabitants of Islamabad.

The seminar was attended by community members, doctors, representatives of civil society organisations, administrators of housing societies, hospital representatives and community activists.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, March 1^st, 2022.