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Scoop
4 days ago
- Health
- Scoop
Will Governments Firewall Public Health From Tobacco Industry's Lies And Deceptive Tactics?
A new WHO report launched in June 2025, warrants stronger measures to save lives from deadly tobacco and nicotine products and hold industry liable An import declaration adopted last week calls upon the governments of the world to accelerate the implementation of all measures under the global tobacco treaty in order to end the tobacco epidemic. Among other actions, it urges countries to: "Recognise the tobacco industry as the biggest barrier to global progress in tobacco control. Reject engagements with organisations working with, or funded by, the tobacco industry. Hold the tobacco industry liable for the harms it causes, including seeking compensation through legal actions." As the World Conference on Tobacco Control (WCTC) 2025 concluded in Ireland - with the WCTC Declaration reaffirming global commitment—and in the lead-up to the upcoming intergovernmental meeting on the global tobacco treaty (formally called the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control or WHO FCTC) later this year, the tobacco and nicotine industries have once again been exposed for using the same old tactics and misinformation to hinder public health advocates from implementing stronger measures to save lives from tobacco-related harm. There is a plethora of overwhelming and growing strong scientific evidence since decades that tobacco causes preventable and life-threatening diseases and untimely deaths. Despite 183 State Parties committing to global tobacco treaty 20 years back and implementing it with domestic laws, every year over 8 million people die of tobacco use. Tobacco continues to be the biggest preventable cause of death worldwide – with most of these deaths taking place in the Global South. Tobacco industry's so-called 'Techno-innovation' is just another tactic to push profits over people's health and lives 'Products that cause preventable diseases and untimely deaths of its consumers like tobacco or nicotine, cannot be associated with positive words like 'techno' or 'innovations'. Tobacco industry uses the garb of such dark lies and deceptive phrases to distract us from enforcing lifesaving tobacco control policies,' says Akinbode Matthew Oluwafemi, Executive Director of Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) in Nigeria. 'We need to understand why so-called 'techno-innovation' meet of world's largest tobacco industry, Philip Morris International, was held in South Africa: South Africa had passed one of the most promising tobacco control laws 20 years back. Many African countries too had adapted that law in their own contexts since then. South African government is currently updating this law to make it even more effective in saving lives from tobacco and nicotine. Regulating electronic cigarettes or vaping or other such 'new' tobacco products, total ban on point-of-sale and direct advertising of all tobacco and nicotine products vaping products (like e-cigarettes etc), and protect youth from manipulative marketing, amongst others, are part of the reforms South African government's new law is proposing,' said Akinbode. 'That is why Philip Morris International is using the same-old tricks and tactics to delay, dilute or water-down lifesaving tobacco control policies in South Africa as well as other countries in Africa. Africa has weak policy environment when it comes to banning e-cigarettes or vaping etc. Tobacco and nicotine industry is trying to exploit this to earn more profits,' said Akinbode. 'Tobacco industry is not only attacking Africa but public health globally. In the garb of 'reducing cigarette use' it is trying to hook our children and youth to its tobacco and nicotine products to make even more profits, with scant regard to their health or lives.' He was speaking in a special media briefing organised during the WCTC online, by Corporate Accountability, Network for Accountability of Tobacco Transnationals (NATT), Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), Asia Pacific Cities Alliance for Health and Development (APCAT), Asia Pacific Media Alliance for Health and Development (APCAT Media), Global AMR Media Alliance (GAMA), Health TV Online Nepal, and Citizen News Service (CNS). WHO Report on Global Tobacco Epidemic 2025 says e-cigarettes harmful WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said around the report launch that 'The evidence is clear: e-cigarettes are harmful, particularly for children and adolescents. We cannot allow a new generation to become dependent on nicotine.' 'This report clearly states that tobacco industry interference remains one of the greatest threats to the adoption, implementation and enforcement of effective tobacco control measures. It states that countries must ensure that tobacco control policies remain robust in the face of tobacco industry interference. This report also outlines a century of tobacco industry interference in public health policy and tactics used by it,' said noted lawyer Daniel Dorado Torres, Tobacco Campaign Director, Corporate Accountability. He added: 'This WHO Report 2025 also states that tobacco industry, which now also manufactures and sells emerging nicotine products such as e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches, has a long history of opposing and obstructing public health efforts to protect people from tobacco. Tobacco industries sell the harm, the hook, and now the palliatives. This is not a transformation – rather it looks a lot like vertical integration.' Daniel Dorado cited examples of music festivals in Colombia where tobacco and nicotine industry was promoting its deadly products to the young people. 'Make no mistake - this is advertising. Just repackaged for political and social legitimacy.' Governments must enforce science-based tobacco control policies and protect public policy from tobacco industry interference 'It was a historic first when first-ever legally-binding corporate accountability and public health treaty (WHO FCTC) came into force 20 years back. We have made progress in advancing lifesaving tobacco control measures, despite tobacco industry interference at all levels. But that is not enough. Governments need stronger actions in implementing science-based tobacco control policies to save lives from tobacco or nicotine, as well as ensure that public policy remains safeguarded from any kind of tobacco industry interference across sectors. Tobacco control is not only a job of Ministry of Health but warrants a whole-of-government approach to save lives,' said Dr Tara Singh Bam, Board Director of Asia Pacific Cities Alliance for Health and Development (APCAT) and Asia Pacific Director for Tobacco Control, Vital Strategies. Dr Tara Singh Bam added: 'To #EndTobacco and #endNicotine, we need to ensure that there are clear roadmap and timebound targets. It is high time we recognise that a tobacco and nicotine free generation becomes possible.' Kalpana Acharya and Ram Prasad Neupane, journalists from Nepal shared that media in Nepal have played a stronger role in helping advance tobacco control and expose tobacco industry interference in public policy. It's time to make Big Tobacco pay 'We appeal to all governments that have ratified the global tobacco treaty to take stronger action in advancing progress in holding tobacco industry legally and financially liable. We have to make big tobacco pay, for the harms it has caused to human life and our planet since decades,' said Daniel Dorado Torres of Corporate Accountability. He called upon everyone to act now by endorsing the campaign (online at "It's time to make Big Tobacco pay for its abuses!" Shobha Shukla – CNS (Citizen News Service) (Shobha Shukla is the award-winning founding Managing Editor and Executive Director of CNS (Citizen News Service) and is a feminist, health and development justice advocate. She is a former senior Physics faculty of prestigious Loreto Convent College and current Coordinator of Asia Pacific Regional Media Alliance for Health and Development (APCAT Media) and Chairperson of Global AMR Media Alliance (GAMA received AMR One Health Emerging Leaders and Outstanding Talents Award 2024). She also coordinates SHE & Rights initiative (Sexual health with equity & rights). Follow her on Twitter @shobha1shukla or read her writings here
Indian Express
28-06-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
International meet urge govts to take bold steps to end tobacco use
The World Conference on Tobacco Control 2025, hosted by the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) with support from Bloomberg Philanthropies and the World Health Organization, concluded with the global tobacco control community calling for the accelerated implementation of all measures in the WHO Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) to end the tobacco epidemic. Tobacco use continues to kill over seven million people each year and costs the world's economies over $2 trillion annually in healthcare expenditure and lost productivity, undermines sustainable development, and exacerbates poverty, food insecurity and labour exploitation. To this end, the delegates of the World Conference on Tobacco Control 2025, have urged governments of the world to accelerate the implementation of all measures in the WHO FCTC in order to end this epidemic by prioritising the increase of excise taxes to decrease the affordability of all tobacco and non-medicinal nicotine products, establishing sustainable financing for tobacco control and other health promotion initiatives from revenue generated. Recognising the tobacco industry as the biggest barrier to global progress in tobacco control, rejecting engagements with organisations working with or funded by the tobacco industry and holding the tobacco industry liable for the harms it causes, including seeking compensation through legal actions are among the other demands. Dr Mary-Ann Etiebet, president and CEO of Vital Strategies, told reporters that health taxes remain one of the most effective, yet underutilised strategies to save lives, strengthen economies and generate new government revenue. 'For much of the last 20 years, smoking worldwide has been in decline, but we are at a turning point. The most recent trendlines point to a flattening in the decline in cigarette sales, mainly because sales among youth and especially young women are increasing in a substantial number of countries. The next generation deserves the same protections millions have been afforded due to tobacco control—smoke-free spaces; plain, standardised packs with graphic warning labels; substantial taxes on cigarettes in some countries; removal of tobacco marketing near schools; and removal of flavours,' she said. Professor Guy Marks, president of The Union, told The Indian Express: 'When we leave this room, it's crucial that we all take with us the knowledge, skills and connections we've made if we are to shift the dial on tobacco control. We must hold world leaders and ourselves to account to truly achieve a healthier world for all, by implementing the most effective evidence-based approaches to eradicate the harms of tobacco which we've all heard about this week. That means successfully implementing all seven WHO MPOWER measures. Anything less is unlikely to be effective and risks being branded as tokenism. There are no more excuses. There is no such thing as a healthy tobacco product. The time for action is now: Let's join forces and with one united voice reclaim the narrative from the industry and save lives.' Anuradha Mascarenhas is a journalist with The Indian Express and is based in Pune. A senior editor, Anuradha writes on health, research developments in the field of science and environment and takes keen interest in covering women's issues. With a career spanning over 25 years, Anuradha has also led teams and often coordinated the edition. ... Read More
Indian Express
25-06-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
Knowledge Nugget: Global Tobacco Epidemic 2025 report – Must know insights for UPSC Exam
Take a look at the essential events, concepts, terms, quotes, or phenomena every day and brush up your knowledge. Here's your knowledge nugget for today on Global Tobacco Epidemic 2025 report. (Relevance: Global reports released by international organisations such as the WHO are highly relevant for the UPSC exam, as they present a comprehensive image of various issues and India's position with respect to other countries.) Tobacco use remains one of the gravest public health threats the world has ever faced, claiming over eight million lives annually. Of these, more than seven million deaths result from direct tobacco use, according to the Global Burden of Disease study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). For tackling the challenge of high tobacco consumption, health warnings are an effective way to help people quit tobacco use. In this context, knowing the key highlights of the World Health Organisation's Global Tobacco Epidemic 2025 report, which focuses on measures to warn people about the harms of tobacco, becomes important. 1. The Global Tobacco Epidemic 2025 report is developed by WHO with support from Bloomberg Philanthropies. It focuses on six proven WHO MPOWER tobacco control measures to reduce tobacco use. 2. The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) and its guidelines provide the foundation for countries to implement and manage tobacco control. To help make this a reality, WHO introduced the MPOWER measures. 3. MPOWER measures are intended to assist in the country-level implementation of effective interventions to reduce the demand for tobacco, contained in the WHO FCTC. MPOWER measures are – 📌M– monitor tobacco use and prevention policies; 📌P– protect people from tobacco smoke; 📌O– offer help to quit tobacco; 📌W– warn about dangers of tobacco; 📌E– enforce bans on tobacco advertising; and 📌R– raise taxes on tobacco products. 4. A total of 110 countries now require these measures — up from just nine in 2007 — protecting 62 per cent of the global population; and 25 countries have adopted plain packaging. 1. The 2025 report focuses on the W measure (warn about the dangers of tobacco) and shows that with 6.1 billion people protected by at least one MPOWER measure at best-practice level many countries continue to make progress in the fight against tobacco. Health warnings and mass media campaigns work best when they are part of a comprehensive tobacco control strategy.-WHO 2. Four countries have now achieved the full MPOWER packaged while a further seven are only one measure away. At the same time 40 countries still have no MPOWER measure at best-practice level. 3. The report reveals that the most striking gains have been in graphic health warnings, one of the key measures under the WHO FCTC. 4. According to the report, India is among the countries identified as having best-practice-level graphic health warning labels in 2024. 5. Of all MPOWER measures, large graphic health warnings on cigarette packages have seen the most progress since 2007 – both in terms of the number of countries and population covered by a best-practice policy. Not only are more countries adopting graphic health warnings, but the average size of warnings has increased from 28 per cent in 2007 to almost 60 per cent in 2024. India has achieved the highest status in O and W (both in 2016) and is in the second highest category of other measures, including M (mass media). Health warnings on cigarette packs are among the largest in the world at 85 per cent. Only 10 countries have a larger graphic health warning. – Dr Vinayak Mohan Prasad (head of the Global Tobacco Control Programme) 6. On the ˋW' measure, India has been in the highest group since 2016. On the 'E' measure, India has banned direct and indirect tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorships 7. The WHO report also warned that action is needed to maintain and accelerate progress in tobacco control as rising industry interference challenges tobacco policies and control efforts. 8. Notably, Tobacco tax is least adopted MPOWER measure in India. 1. India is among the six countries that received 2025 Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards for Global Tobacco Control for prioritizing tobacco cessation approaches to reach a significant number of tobacco users in the country. 2. The National Tobacco Control Cell of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, was presented with the award at the World Conference on Tobacco Control held in Dublin, Ireland, on Monday (23rd June). 3. India was presented the 'O' category award for promoting tobacco cessation. Among the other countries that received the award were Mauritius, Mexico, Montenegro, Philippines and Ukraine. 1. India has implemented stringent measures to curb tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship (TAPS) across all forms of media, including television, radio, print and digital platforms. 2. To restrict depiction of tobacco use in entertainment media, the Centre introduced the Tobacco-Free Films and Television Rules in 2012, focusing on traditional platforms such as cinema and television. 3. As more people shift towards using digital streaming platforms, India recognized the need to update its tobacco control policies. Coinciding with World No Tobacco Day on May 31, 2023, the government introduced an amendment to the 2012 legislation, extending its coverage to over-the-top streaming platforms. With this move, India became the first country in the world to apply tobacco control regulations specifically to digital streaming content. 4. The WHO report said that India is reinforcing its commitment to public health and positioning itself as a pioneer in adapting regulation to evolving media consumption trends. However, the current national TAPS ban can be further strengthened by prohibiting tobacco advertising at points of sale and fully banning tobacco industry sponsorship. 1. Despite widespread awareness of tobacco's health risks, the raw tobacco industry continues to thrive. In 2022, an estimated 5.8 million tonnes of tobacco were produced globally, with China accounting for roughly one-third of this output, according to Statista. 2. In the same year, India and Brazil produced approximately 0.8 million and 0.7 million tonnes of unmanufactured tobacco respectively, according to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). 3. The world's top 10 largest Tobacco producing countries, as of 2023 are: Source: United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation (UN FAOSTAT) 4. Notably, India is the world's second-largest producer and consumer of unmanufactured tobacco, with a production volume of nearly 770,000 tonnes. Consider the following statements: 1. The theme for World No Tobacco Day 2025 is 'Protecting children from tobacco industry interference.' 2. India is the world's largest producer and consumer of unmanufactured tobacco. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 (Sources: India conferred with Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards for Global Tobacco Control, Top 10 largest tobacco-producing countries: India ranks among top 3, India scores high in graphic health warnings, cessation bans: WHO report on global tobacco use) Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – Indian Express UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. 🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for June 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at Roshni Yadav is a Deputy Copy Editor with The Indian Express. She is an alumna of the University of Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru University, where she pursued her graduation and post-graduation in Political Science. She has over five years of work experience in ed-tech and media. At The Indian Express, she writes for the UPSC section. Her interests lie in national and international affairs, governance, economy, and social issues. You can contact her via email: ... Read More
The Hindu
01-06-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Can mHealth and AI amp up tobacco cessation efforts?
If we compare the GATS 1 (Global Adult Tobacco Survey) with the GATS 2, all parameters related to tobacco cessation show a downward trend. While the sustained efforts by the government through implementation of national programs such as NTCP, COTPA, and NOHP; ratification of strategic frameworks such as WHO's MPOWER or FCTC; or multilateral collaboration with global health organisations, NGOs, and other stakeholders, the efforts fall short in responding to the tobacco scourge prevalent in the country. 28.6 % of the people aged 15 and above use tobacco in India, the use of smokeless forms being double that of smoked forms. This can be attributed to the social acceptability of smokeless tobacco (SLT), especially among women in old times. Tobacco continues to hold cultural value in local traditions, where it is offered to guests and gods with equal reverence. The second largest consumer—and third largest producer—of tobacco, India is home to 72.7 million smokers. It is responsible for 13.5 lakh deaths, 1.5 lakh cancers, 4.2 million heart diseases, and 3.7 million lung diseases every year. With a 20 % share of the global burden load, India is touted as the oral cancer capital of the world. Also Read | From tea stalls to tumours, tobacco affordability fuelling cancer epidemic in India Secondhand smoking (SHS), caused by the inhalation of toxic fumes when somebody is smoking in the vicinity, compounds the problem further. It contributes to 14% of total tobacco deaths, with the brunt falling squarely on the most vulnerable—women, children, and older people. Almost half of the non-smoking women and over one-third of pregnant women are exposed to tobacco smoke in India and Bangladesh. According to GATS 2, despite 85.6% of people being aware of the detrimental effects of SHS, 38.7% of people working at home and 30.2% working indoors were exposed to smoking. A 2023 report by WHO on global tobacco epidemic believes that physical distancing—whether it be designated smoke rooms (DSRs) or ventilation—fails to protect from the exposure of SHS. The smoke residues from 7000 chemicals, including over 70 carcinogenic substances, cling to physical surfaces long after a cigarette is stubbed out. Through case studies of popular smoke ban laws in Atlanta and Finland, WHO FCTC's Section 8 advocates for strict legislation for a smoke-free environment to protect our basic right to breathe in clean air. Also Read | Two decades after India's public smoking ban, challenges persist in tobacco control Dependency on tobacco Multiple studies have shown that dependence on tobacco and bidis significantly impairs individuals' ability to quit. The wide availability of locally-produced tobacco brands in India further complicates regulation of nicotine content. Moreover, Big Tobacco is frequently accused of deliberately maintaining high nicotine levels to promote addiction. Furthermore, the tobacco industry lobbying has actively obscured critical information and deflected public discourse from the health risks linked to tobacco use. This has resulted in manufacturing of narratives, such as conflating the harms of tobacco smoking with air pollution. What harm will one cigarette cause when the level of pollution amounts to breathing 20 cigarettes a day!? (While air pollution demands urgent action, the harm caused by cigarette smoke is 2 to 2.5 times greater, according to a Chinese study.) In the 1996 issue of Time Magazine, the president and CEO of Philip Morris was quoted saying that cigarettes are no more addictive than coffee or gummy bears. This impact on teenagers by Big Tobacco propaganda is concerning. 8.5% of young adolescents (between 13 and 15 years) consume tobacco in some form in India. With stylish names, flashy packaging, fancy brand ambassadors, and fun flavours, the tobacco industry preys on the young to initiate tobacco use as well as continue it. A WHO report highlighted the addition of sweetening agents, flavorings, bronchodilators, and additives such as levulinic acid and menthol to tobacco products—measures intended to reduce the harshness of nicotine and create a cooling effect in the throat. These modifications in taste, smell, and sensory appeal, experts believe, hype the demand of these products among the youth. Kicking the habit The GATS 2 survey revealed that out of the total people who wanted to quit, 70% had to do it alone, and most couldn't sustain it beyond a month. We must also realize that cessation is not a one-off thing but a continuum—the counselling must always be ongoing and adaptive. Pranav Ish, a pulmonologist at VMMC and Safdarjung Hospitals said even 2-3 minutes of reinforcement has worked wonders in his patients. GATS 2, however, reveals a dismal picture when it comes to the attitude of healthcare providers: only 31.7% of healthcare providers advised their patients to quit in the last month, and 48.8% in the last year. Aninda Debnath, assistant professor, Community Medicine, MAMC, Delhi, says that while a lot of programs related to tobacco cessation are in place, a critical look at their functioning and utilisation is important. The COTPA Act prohibits advertising of tobacco in any form; however, a study by Vital Strategies found 75 % of online surrogate marketing of tobacco on Meta platforms. Vikrant Mohanty, HoD and Project Head, National Resource Centre for Oral Health and Tobacco Cessation, MAIDS, Delhi, said: 'While the government is doing its bit through cessation services at primary level, dedicated counsellors in NCD clinics, dentist training under NOHP, a comprehensive approach with integration of stakeholders at various levels is the need of the hour. The dropout from follow-up still remains huge, and faith in the treatment low.' Also Read | Smokeless tobacco products contribute to over 50% of oral cancer cases in India, study finds AI to the rescue Traditional forms of counseling are, for one, not equitable—the social desirability bias kicks in when hospitals expect the patient to come back. Plus, affordability and accessibility to TCCs is an issue for most who come from lower to lower-middle classes and work in informal sectors or as daily wage workers. Researchers have found that the results of tobacco cessation have stagnated, or at times gone down, for people with social disadvantage. While mCessation in the form of encouraging text messages or telephonic counselling through NTQLS has been an innovative solution (as part of WHO's Be He@lthy, Be mobile), limited success has been observed. Some of the gaps in successful implementation of mHealth include voice recognition inaccuracies, network connectivity issues, poor digital literacy, shoddy interface, absence of personal connection, poor long-term engagement, and high attrition rates. Integrating mHealth with innovative solutions such as PSD (Persuasive Systems Design) or just-in-time-adaptive-intervention (JITAI) that deliver an intervention in moments of elevated need or receptivity has shown great promise. This is where AI can give us a leg up. Mohanty adds that large language models can bridge the gap of delivery, provide personalized healthcare systematically, capture data, and use them in improving the outcomes.' AI can be harnessed not only through chatbots but also indirectly to train healthcare professionals so they can assess, advise and follow-up with the patients rigorously. Dr. Debanath emphasised the importance of refresher training—a component often neglected—which can be made significantly more accessible and efficient with the help of AI.' Monika Arora, Vice President of Research and Health Promotion at PHFI, believes, 'Chatbots and virtual assistants powered by AI can provide round-the-clock support, track and monitor tobacco use behavior, offer evidence-based information, and deliver personalized motivational messages. AI can also utilize predictive analytics to identify individuals at higher risk of relapse and tailor interventions accordingly.' However, this can't happen in isolation. All the interviewees believed that AI should not be thought of as an alternative but as an adjunct to traditional strategies. Dr. Arora and others are working on an AI-based model under Project CARE, where the focus is on 'co-development with users and healthcare providers' who can come up with innovative and contextually relevant solutions. Also Read | The tobacco epidemic in India Digital literacy challenge However, all is not rosy with mHealth and AI. While mobile penetration in the country is good, the lack of digital literacy might act as a massive deterrent. Debnath shared a personal anecdote: 'My mother has a smartphone, but she uses it only for calling and WhatsApp.' Moreover, in this age of digital revolution, when we are always bombarded with text messages and the ubiquitous 'ting' of notifications, the impact of one more message needs to be looked at with a fair bit of skepticism. These newer innovations should be complemented with other time-tested strategies. Plain packaging, which was initiated by Australia for the first time in 2012—and was followed by a wave of countries—should be considered as the next step to challenge the growing empire of tobacco corporations. Stronger warnings, higher taxes, increasing the size of graphic warnings, banning e-cigarettes, and hiring brand ambassadors cam aid our efforts. Emerging approaches such as adaptive counseling, designed to provide stepped care that addresses patients' unmet needs and parallels chronic disease management, can also be considered. Dr. Ish added: 'It feels rewarding that a patient who could earlier smoke three cigarettes had to contend with only one due to high costs.' India has garnered international attention for its tobacco cessation program, but the sheer burden of tobacco warrants that we not only explore newer strategies while also ensuring rigorous implementation of the existing ones. (Kinshuk Gupta is a writer, journalist, and public health physician. His debut book is Yeh Dil Hai Ki Chor Darwaja. kinshuksameer@
Business Recorder
31-05-2025
- Health
- Business Recorder
World No Tobacco Day: WHO, GoP join hands to deal with devastating economic & health impacts
ISLAMABAD: The government of Pakistan and the World Health Organization (WHO) have joined hands to jointly collaborate to deal with the devastating economic and health impacts of tobacco, which annually results in the deaths of 164,000 people and financially cause Rs700 billion or $2.5 billion losses to the country. The development came here on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day jointly organised by the WHO and the Ministry of National Health Services. The participants emphasised that all tobacco products on the market, without exception and regardless of the manufacturer, are extremely harmful to health and pose serious risks to people of all ages including children and teenagers. Speaking on the occasion, Additional Secretary Health Laeeq Ahmad said that Pakistan was a proud signatory to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, Pakistan remains firmly committed to implementing comprehensive, evidence-based measures to reduce tobacco use. He thanked all partners, including WHO, for their unwavering support. 'Together, let us work towards a tobacco-free Pakistan, a nation where our people can live, work, and thrive in an environment that values health, safety, and well-being,' He said that Pakistan in collaboration with WHO and other partners was committed to work together on urgent and sustainable measures to save lives. Measures include long-term increased taxation, advertising bans, regulation on plan packaging and product design to reduce appeal – especially to vulnerable populations such as children and teenagers, tobacco and nicotine-free public spaces, strict enforcement of tobacco control laws, and medical support for those who want to quit. Research has shown that measures such as tobacco taxation are effective in increasing revenues for the government while also reducing consumption, tobacco-related diseases, and pressure on health systems. Pakistan ratified the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) in 2004, and WHO provides continuous technical support to the Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination and the Federal Board of Revenue in areas such as tobacco tax policy and track-and-trace implementation. WHO Deputy Representative in Pakistan Ellen Thom said, 'The 164,000 people dead to tobacco every year are not just numbers. They are workers with families. They are sons and daughters. They are also teenagers and children, who are particularly vulnerable and an easy target for the advertisement of the tobacco industry. Let us unmask the appeal. Tobacco is not a candy; it is a killer, and we need to protect our children, our families, and our communities.' Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
