KARACHI: The World No Tobacco Day was observed here on Monday.
This years theme was “Commit to Quit” to make Karachi a Smoke-free city through and the implementation of the Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non-smokers Health Ordinance of 2002.
In this connection, the Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (Sparc) organized a dialogue with regard to World No Tobacco Day at a hotel here.
Speaking about Sparc’s campaign ‘Let’s make Karachi Smoke-free: Dr. Sajjad Qasir General Secretary Pakistan Medical Association said that every year the policy makers of the tobacco industry have to try to manipulate and the result is more than death. In Pakistan, tobacco use is a cause of death of around 170,000 persons every year while almost 23.9 million adults currently use tobacco in any form in the country, according to the Tobacco Control Cell of Ministry of National Health Services. COVID-19 pandemic made everyone realize that our existing resources are insufficient to any health emergency. Revenue generated from the health levy could have been utilized for pandemic control and guarantee better health for our people.
Shumaila Muzammil, the project manager SPARC shared that Pakistan is one of the 15 countries worldwide with the heavy burden of tobacco related ill health issues. She said around 1200 Pakistani children between ages of 6 to 15 years start smoking every day according to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) results of 2015. She added the country’s 50 per cent population consists of children who are directly suffering from direct and second-hand smoking.
Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Seemab Asif, assistant professor St. Patrick’s Colleges, said that with coordination of SPARC we successfully make our schools and colleges completely smoke-free. SPARC also organized session with school management and with school to create awareness. She added in law 50 meter radius must be extended upto 250 meter, so as maximum distance we keep from tobacco related tobacco from children.
Muhmmad Kashif Mirza, the manager media and communication from SAPRC said that tobacco-related diseases have been causing a loss of Rs615 billion to the national exchequer per annum. According to a latest report by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (Pide). This amounts to 1.6pc of the country’s GDP, which experts said, could be reduced significantly by imposing health levy on tobacco products. Govt of Sindh still unwere to introduce it’s own law to control the tobacco smoking even federal govt still didn’t make rule of business which is long due. Government should have considered the growing inflation rate while finalizing the taxes on tobacco products for fiscal year 2021-22.
While telling the achievements of SPARC he he says We took up this challenge and lobbied with the Chief Minister Office, Chief Secretary Office, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and District Administration. As a result, KMC and several government departments have appointed focal persons to undertake this issue in their respective domains. Furthermore, Tobacco Control Cell in District South has been reactivated, and the Implementation Monitoring and Committee (DIMC) has been established in District South.”
