Letters to Editor

Dear Editor,

After the passage of the 18th constitutional amendment, health, along with other subjects, was placed under provincial control. Unfortunately, 16 years on, the provincial governments seem least bothered by the smoking epidemic.

Dear editor,

The framework for tobacco control in Pakistan remains outdated. It merely relies on the Prohibition of Smoking in Enclosed Places and Protection of Non-Smokers Health Ordinance, 2002.

Dear editor,

Pakistan today faces an alarming tobacco burden, with millions of adult smokers struggling to quit despite repeated attempts. While awareness campaigns have highlighted the dangers of smoking, the absence of effective and affordable cessation services leaves these individuals without the support they desperately need.

Dear Editor,

The Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) 2024 provides positive and encouraging fundings vis-à-vis tobacco use in Pakistan. Overall, Pakistan has successfully reduced tobacco consumption by 15.7% between 2014 and 2024. This can be termed a great achievement. However, smoking cessation still remains a weak area.

Dear Editor,

President Asif Ali Zardari has appropriately pointed out the need for effective legislation regarding tobacco control in his message on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day. The only major legislation on tobacco in Pakistan is the Prohibition of Smoking in Enclosed Places and Protection of Non-Smokers Health Ordinance 2002.

Dear editor,

We are in the month of May when every year the world and Pakistan mark the World No Tobacco Day. However, ironically in Pakistan, the adult smokers remain visible on this day. These are the smokers who understand the harms of smoking and want to quit but do not know how.