December 2025 Newsletter

The December 2025 issue focuses on Pakistan’s chance to become smoke-free by 2035. The lead article by Junaid Ali Khan says Pakistan has the tools, policies, and international support needed to reduce smoking, but success depends on consistent enforcement of tobacco control laws, political will, and community mobilization.

The article explains that a smoke-free country is usually understood as one where smoking prevalence falls below 5 percent. Pakistan has not yet started this journey properly, but the article argues that it can do so over the next decade if it prepares a clear plan and implements it strictly.

The newsletter states that 31.6 million people, or 19.9 percent of the population above 15 years of age, use tobacco in some form. Smoking-related illnesses consume 1.4 percent of Pakistan’s GDP every year. It also says Pakistan’s annual smoking death rate is higher than the averages for South Asia and the rest of the world.

The article explains that a smoke-free Pakistan would reduce preventable deaths, lower healthcare costs, improve productivity, and protect younger generations from tobacco use. It calls for a national smoke-free vision for 2035 and says the country must first find out the exact number of tobacco users through updated national data.

A major part of the article focuses on smoking cessation services. It says Pakistan needs cessation support across the country at district, tehsil, and union council levels. Provincial and local governments have a critical role because adult smokers who have been unable to quit remain the largest group of tobacco users.

The issue also includes personal stories of smokers. Ahmed quit smoking for a year after returning to his hometown, but restarted when he moved to Islamabad for work. Shafaat tried to quit but social gatherings pulled him back. Ahsan quit in 2020 but restarted in 2024 out of renewed desire. These stories show how environment, workplace circles, cravings, and lack of cessation support make quitting difficult.

Another article reports that Mexico has approved legal reforms that could impose up to eight years in prison and heavy fines for producing or selling vapes. The newsletter also includes an article on veterans, explaining that soldiers and veterans need strong cessation support because smoking often increases in high-stress and conflict situations.

The issue also reports that ARI and its partners held meetings with adult smokers, vapers, and tobacco users in Karachi East and Karachi South. Participants discussed smoking prevalence, tobacco harms, the need for tobacco harm reduction, and the lack of cessation services. The final page covers a proposed Islamabad bill to regulate vapes and e-cigarettes for under-18s and a Gallup Pakistan survey estimating that over 1.2 million Pakistanis now use vaping devices.

The main story says Pakistan can become smoke-free by 2035 if it develops a clear national plan and implements tobacco control laws properly. It highlights the need for accurate tobacco-use data, strong enforcement, political will, community involvement, and smoking cessation services at district, tehsil, and union council levels.