‘15.3% of teens start smoking before 15’

Experts say they support increase in tobacco tax to lower consumption amongst youth

ISLAMABAD:

The Society for the Protection of Rights of the Child (SPARC) organised a dialogue on saving the young generation from tobacco hazards through sustainable measures in Pakistan at the Marriott Hotel, Islamabad.

Anti-Tobacco Activists showed their concern over the high prevalence of smoking amongst the youth. They appealed to the government to increase taxes to 30%, as per the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendation to dampen the consumption.

Ministry of Health Tobacco Control Cell former Technical Head Dr Ziauddin Islam said the youth was the main victim of the tobacco industry. “The industry considers adolescents as replacement smokers,” he added. “Unfortunately, cigarettes in our country are available at some of the cheapest rates in the region, which makes them affordable for youth,” he said.

As children are price sensitive, increasing tobacco taxes to 30% would help prevent the youth from taking up smoking, he said. He added that tobacco taxation was a major component of a comprehensive tobacco control strategy. “To completely understand the benefits, it is necessary to understand the impact of increased taxes among high-risk subpopulations,” he said.

Raising taxes on tobacco is widely regarded as the most robust and cost-effective measure to reduce tobacco usage, he added. Higher cigarette taxation can serve the dual objective of public health promotion and revenue generation in Pakistan, he said.

Meanwhile, SPARC Program Manager Khalil Ahmed brought the audience’s attention towards the aspect of poverty. While speaking on affordability he said that 1200 Pakistani children between the ages of 6-15 years, start smoking daily. “It is very disturbing that 15.3% of teens start smoking before the age of 15,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 3^rd, 2022.