KARACHI, Aug 29 (APP): Tobacco use hurts dis-proportionately the poor and deepens poverty in the third world by siphoning money needed for basic necessities such as food, shelter and education, said senior pulmonologist, Dr. Javaid A Khan.

The head of Pulmonology Department, Aga Khan University, in his presentation warned tobacco consumption, mainly smoking, was particularly killing wage earners in prime of their lives.

He said the tobacco epidemic is shifting to the developing world not due to population growth but because of aggressive marketing tactics of the tobacco industry.

“The global tobacco epidemic does not just affect the health of millions of people in Pakistan but is also an economic threat that costs local and national economies billions of dollars each year,” warned the pulmonologist.  

He said situation is largely controllable and referred to MPOWER, comprising six cost effective solutions, identified by WHO as:

Monitor tobacco use and assess the impact of tobacco prevention and cessation efforts;

Protect everyone from secondhand smoke with laws that require smoke-free work-places and public places;

Offer help to every tobacco user to quit;

Warn and effectively educate every person about the dangers of tobacco use with strong, pictorial health warnings and hard-hitting, sustained media campaigns to educate the public;

Enact and enforce comprehensive bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorships and on the use of misleading terms such as “light” and “low-tar” and Raise the price of tobacco products by increasing tobacco taxes.

“These are scientifically proven policies that can reverse the tobacco epidemic around the globe”, said the senior pulmonologist.

He urged the policy makers to implement Tobacco Control measures in the right earnest to prevent wide range of tobacco associated diseases, spreading fast in Pakistan.

Dr. Javaid A Khan regretted unwarranted delay in the implementation of Prohibition of Tobacco Use and Smoking Ordinance 2002.

Referring to estimates that 100,000 people might be losing lives, in the country due to tobacco and cigarette related ailments or passive smoking, he said No Tobacco Ordinance 2002 needed to be extended a permanent legal status.

We must get it strictly implemented to protect health and lives of people including non smokers.

He referred to recent research by Coalition for Tobacco Control-Pakistan showing that very few public offices were implementing smoking free policy.