Legislation demanded for tobacco retailing
A study revealed that use of chewable tobacco has risen by 42.4% as compared to figures in 2012 National Housing Survey. PHOTO: FILE
Provincial Alliance for Sustainable Tobacco Control on Tuesday demanded legislative actions around tobacco retail licensing for effective compliance with other tobacco control measures in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
Addressing a press conference in Peshawar Press Club, the speakers called for the adoption of provincial legislation to regulate the sale of tobacco products in the province.
Earlier, the West Pakistan Tobacco Vend Act, 1958 was repealed in K-P under the influence of the tobacco industry in 2010. The re-enactment and well enforcement of tobacco vendor licensing policies can encourage vendors to comply with existing tobacco control regulations.
The speakers said that tobacco use is a leading cause of preventable deaths worldwide, with more than eight million people dying each year due to tobacco-related illnesses. In Pakistan, tobacco use is responsible for a significant number of deaths, with an estimated 160,000 deaths per year attributed to tobacco-related illnesses.
According to civil society organizations, tobacco retailer licensing has been recommended as an effective tobacco control strategy worldwide.
Adopting tobacco retailer licensing laws can be contributing way to ensure compliance with tobacco laws and to combat public health problems.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 5th, 2023.