November 2025 Newsletter

The November 2025 issue focuses on the need for urgent action to build a smoke-free Pakistan. The lead story reports that ARI and its partners held 15 awareness sessions across 10 districts in Punjab and Sindh. These included awareness seminars for students, sessions with smokers, vapers, and tobacco users, and community meetings.

The seminars were held at educational institutions including the University of Management and Technology Lahore, the University of Education Multan, Government College University Faisalabad, a government degree college in Dera Ghazi Khan, and private colleges in Sargodha and Bahawalpur. Nearly 1,000 students participated in these sessions.

Speakers discussed the health risks of tobacco, the benefits of quitting, and cessation services such as tobacco harm reduction. They explained that Pakistan has more than 31 million tobacco users and that tobacco-related diseases kill more than 160,000 people every year. Tobacco use also creates an economic burden of Rs615 billion for the country.

The newsletter explains that cigarette smoke contains thousands of toxic chemicals that can cause fatal diseases such as cancer and heart disease. Speakers said Pakistan ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in 2004, but weak implementation has allowed smoking rates to increase. They called for stronger awareness campaigns, access to cessation services, tobacco harm reduction in national policy, and enforcement of existing tobacco control laws.

The issue also includes personal stories of smokers. Muhammad Ali, a security guard, made two serious quit attempts but started smoking again because of strong cravings. Shakeel, a government servant, is trying to reduce smoking step by step. Karamat Ali Shah, a driver, uses smoking to stay awake during long driving hours. Faheem started smoking because of peer pressure and now smokes about 20 cigarettes a day.

Another article discusses the need for a more inclusive tobacco control framework. It explains that traditional measures such as bans, taxes, advertising restrictions, and health warnings are important, but not enough on their own. The article says tobacco harm reduction and safer nicotine alternatives should also be included to support adult smokers who cannot quit completely.

The final page reports that the Maldives has banned tobacco use, purchase, and sale for people born on or after 1 January 2007, making it the only country with a nationwide generational tobacco ban. It also reports a Senate bill in Pakistan that seeks to regulate e-cigarettes in Islamabad, including public use restrictions, age limits, packaging standards, advertising limits, and a nicotine concentration limit.

The main story highlights ARI and its partner organizations holding 15 awareness sessions across 10 districts of Punjab and Sindh. These sessions focused on tobacco harms, youth protection, smoking cessation, tobacco harm reduction, and stronger enforcement of existing tobacco control laws to move Pakistan toward a smoke-free future.