Tobacco kills over 160,000 people every year in Pakistan: Zafar Mirza

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Affairs Dr Zafar Mirza on Sunday said that as many as 160,000 people die every year in Pakistan after consuming tobacco products, ARY NEWS reported.

“8.8 million people die across the globe after consuming tobacco of which seven million directly consume it while the remaining others die after being affected from its smoke,” said Zafar Mirza in his message on World No Tobacco Day.

He said that around 1200 children aging between six to 15 years start smoking cigarettes on daily basis in Pakistan.

While discussing measures from the ongoing government, Dr Zafar Mirza said that health ministry has prepared a national policy for tobacco control in the country.

We have decided to increase taxation on tobacco products that will generate an additional amount of Rs 24 billion to be used for saving lives of those affected from its use, he said.

“We have already banned sale of cigarettes to anyone below 18-year-old,” he said and urged the citizens to play their role in curbing its use in order to save their next generations.

It is pertinent to mention here that during a seminar on the impact of tobacco smoking on children in 2019, it was revealed that 70 percent of people in Pakistan fall prey to second-hand smoke at indoor workplace which is equally damaging.

Youth and women are the prime targets of the tobacco industry as findings from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey revealed that 13.3 percent boys and 6.6 percent girls (aged 13-15 years) currently use it.