SHAFAQNA PAKISTAN (Shia News Agency)
Tobacco kills nearly six million people each year out of which almost 600,000 die from second-hand smoke. State Bank’s recently launched Statistical Bulletin Report revealing the shocking figures that more than 64 billion cigarettes were consumed by Pakistanis during the Fiscal Year (FY) 2014, civil society and rights groups have expressed dismay over the government’s poor performance with regard to controlling tobacco spread in the country. According to the report, Pakistanis smoked away Rs250 billion in the form of cigarettes during the period. According to the Pakistan Demographic Health Survey (PDHS), 46 per cent men and 5.7 per cent women smoke tobacco, and 15.9 per cent adult Pakistanis are daily smokers. Over 100,000 deaths are attributed to tobacco use each year in Pakistan, with the majority of these deaths resulting from lung and other cancers, strokes, ischemic heart and other cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Nearly 6,500 people over the age of 40 found that 18.3% of smokers reported suffering depression and anxiety compared with 10% of non-smokers and 11.3% of ex-smokers. The government has to pro-actively implement MPOWER (Monitoring, Protect, Offer, Warn, Enforce and Raise) by conducting surveys, enforcing ban on second-hand smoking in indoor public places. There is also need to raise awareness among the public to quit smoking habits. Government should launch a coordinated awareness campaign against smoking to secure both the money and health of the people.
pakistan.shafaqna.com
