Smoking puts heavy economic burden

Rawalpindi

Smoking is costing the world economy well over $1.4 trillion per year, and sucking up a twentieth of health care spending. Tobacco use costs national economies enormously through increased health-care costs and decreased productivity. It worsens health inequalities and exacerbates poverty, as the poorest people spend less on essentials such as food, education and health care.

Some 80 per cent of premature deaths from tobacco occur in low or middle-income countries, which face increased challenges to achieving their development goals. Tobacco growing requires large amounts of pesticides and fertilizers, which can be toxic and pollute water supplies.

Pakistanis smoked away Rs250 billion worth of cigarettes during the fiscal year 2014. Pakistanis burn away over Rs60 crore daily on cigarettes alone and equal amount on smokeless tobacco – ‘naswar’, ‘paan’, ‘pan masala’, ‘gutka’, etc. Tobacco users who die prematurely deprive their families of income.

Head of Community Medicine at CMH Lahore Medical College Professor Dr Muhammad Ashraf Chaudhry expressed this while talking to ‘The News’ in connection with World No Tobacco Day being observed on May 31 (today) around the globe.

Every year, on May 31, World Health Organisation and partners mark the Word No Tobacco Day (WNTD), highlighting the health risks associated with tobacco use and advocating effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption.

The theme for World No Tobacco Day this year is “Tobacco - a threat to development”. The day aims to highlight the links between the use of tobacco products, tobacco control and sustainable development; to encourage countries to include tobacco control in their national responses to 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.

According to Dr. Ashraf, tobacco industry is targeting youth by using different tactics such as providing colorful posters with catchy slogans to shop keepers, power walls, retailer incentives, branding of shops, well designed and brightly colored cigarette packs and other promotional activities. Almost zero implementation of laws offers a fertile ground for the tobacco industry to expand its influences across all tiers of society, particularly youth, he said.

He added that tobacco smoking epidemic is spreading very rapidly in Pakistan, especially among our youth. Majority of restrictions on smoking and promotion of tobacco, enriched in Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non-Smokers Health Ordinance 2002 exist in the paper only. No sincere attempts have been made to implement this in the country. Instead, tobacco companies have been given a free hand to promote the deadly and addictive substance to the youth of Pakistan, alleged Dr. Ashraf.

The said Ordinance 2002 is not more than a piece of paper and has proved to be a lip service only during the last 15 years waiting for some sincere authority for its actual enforcement, he said.

He said dependence on revenue generated from tobacco which is Rs80 billion per year, is a major impediment in the way of tobacco control. There is complete violation Anti-Smoking Ordinance, smoking is now common practice inside offices, public transport, hotels and restaurants. Although, according to law, designated smoking has been abolished in the hotels and restaurants but still more than 50 per cent of hotels and restaurants are violating this law, said Dr. Ashraf.

Despite the fact that the sale of cigarettes to those under 18 years is prohibited by law, shopkeepers, some near the schools, openly violate the rules and continue to sell cigarettes to under-age youths.

Dr. Ashraf said tobacco kills nearly six million people every year worldwide. Unless urgent action is taken, the annual death toll could rise to more than eight million by 2030. Tobacco killed 100 million people in the 20th century. If current trends continue, it may cause one billion deaths in the 21st century, he said.

He added nearly 80 per cent of world’s one billion smokers live in low- and middle-income countries. Tobacco-related diseases kill 120,000 people in Pakistan every year – more than suicide bombing, road traffic accidents, honour killings and drug abuse combined, he said.

He believes that tobacco is nothing but other name of disease, death and disability. Major tobacco related diseases are cancer, heart diseases, high blood pressure, bad breath, gum diseases, depression, thyroid disease, harmful effects on bones and teeth, impotency, baldness and infertility (in women), said Dr. Ashraf.

To a query, he said in developed countries people have right to sue companies if they face any side effect of the product but in developing countries such as Pakistan people cannot get justice.

There are more than 4000 chemicals in tobacco smoke, of which 250 are known to be harmful and more than 50 are known to cause cancer, he said.

Although according to anti-smoking law, every owner/manager/in-charge of every place of public work or use must display a signboard at a conspicuous place, in and outside the premises visited by the general public, stating that the place is a, ‘No Smoking Zone’ and that ‘Smoking is an Offence’ but practically such signboard is hardly available at any public place including hotels and restaurants, said Dr. Ashraf.

He said tobacco control can break the cycle of poverty, contribute to ending hunger, promote sustainable agriculture and economic growth, and combat climate change. Increasing taxes on tobacco products can also be used to finance universal health coverage and other development programs of government, he said.

He added that by raising taxes on tobacco products, requiring graphic health warning labels, conducting hard hitting mass media campaigns and banning tobacco industry advertising and marketing, Pakistan can improve the health of their citizens, reduce health care costs and prevent the tobacco industry from addicting another generation of children, said Dr. Ashraf.

He concluded that to assist the implementation of anti-smoking law, a toll free number should be available on which all violations of anti-smoking law could be reported.