CTC calls for prompt implementation of 85% pictorial warnings on cigarette packs

Islamabad: The Coalition for Tobacco Control Pakistan (CTC-Pak)-a conglomeration of over more than 250 partners, Wednesday urged the government of Pakistan to rise above the tobacco industry’s influence in best public interest and to immediately enforce the long delayed 85% Pictorial Health Warning (PHW) on cigarette packs.

Retracting from its commitment to increase the size of the PHW has been one of the biggest health failures of the outgoing PML(N) government, whose Minister for Health Saira Afzal even accepted a WHO award for announcing the said measure on the World No Tobacco Day event organized by the Ministry of Health in 2015.

“We urge the government of Pakistan to not give in to the tobacco industry’s influence and take immediate action such as enforce the long delayed 85% Pictorial Health Warning (PHW) on cigarette packs to inform about health hazards associated with tobacco use. We need to caution the smokers and others around him on priority basis,” Khurram Hashmi, National Coordinator of CTC said.

“Give priority to health over business; save our hearts from tobacco abuse!” This is the call of 250 partners of CTC-Pak, and the call comes on World No Tobacco Day, which refreshes memories of unfulfilled political commitments on one of the most important determinants of health. While the world is going for stricter tobacco control policies, the people of Pakistan are unfortunately still struggling with cardiovascular diseases on very high scales due to tobacco use.

“Tobacco is the primary contributor to 16% of all non-communicable disease (NCD) deaths, particularly cardiovascular. And cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks are the 19% of the total deaths making it the highest NCD in Pakistan. Cancer and other chronic respiratory diseases account for majority of other NCDs related deaths, Which is why we at CTC-Pak urge everyone to look after their hearts and protect it from tobacco exposure. Tobacco Kills. Save your heart, save your health,” Khurram added.

According to a WHO report, tobacco use disproportionately harms some of the world’s most vulnerable populations. More than 80 percent of the world’s smokers live in low- and middle-income countries, where the harms of tobacco use are further exacerbated by a lack of access to health care. Tobacco use also creates economic burden, costing countries a staggering $1.4 trillion dollars a year in health care costs and lost productivity.

“The global tobacco epidemic kills more than 7 million people each year and in Pakistan, 108,800 deaths are associated with tobacco. This is an established medical fact that tobacco use is major cause of heart attacks or strokes in Pakistan. People have the right to know and to their health. The government is responsible for protecting people’s health from tobacco exposure and for this purpose it has to strictly enforce the tobacco control laws in Pakistan to restrict access to tobacco,” Khurran said.

The government of Pakistan also compromised on tobacco tax this year by accommodating the tobacco industry with continuation of the third tier, which allows most selling brands with least tax. “The consumption has increased two-folds. The government has already lost revenue during 2017 by playing into the hands of the tobacco industry. Cigarettes are cheaper now and accessible to anyone including children and youth. We need stricter policies, enforcement measures, and more awareness to better understand the laws. We demand 85% PHW. We demand high significant raise in tobacco taxes. We need to protect our present and next generation,” Atta Ur Rehman, President FARZ Association, CTC-Pak Coalition Partner from Rawalpindi said.

Pakistan ratified and became a party to the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in 2004. After 14 years, Pakistan still had a long way to go in order to fulfill its international obligations by implementing stronger tobacco control policies.