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Workers Education and Research Organization (WERO) with the collaboration of Alternative Research Initiative (ARI) organized a session on the theme of “Ending Smoking from Pakistan is Possible” , on Wednesday at the office of WERO in Karachi.
The Session was aimed to discuss about the hazards of smoking, Benefits of Quitting Smoking and to keep away youth from smoking.
Mir Zulfiqar ALi Executive Director of WERO while discussing about the laws and situation of tobacco use in Pakistan stated that Pakistan is a signatory of WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control since 2004, whereas nothing is mentioned in “Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non Smokers Health Ordinance 2002” law regarding smoking cessation in the country.
He informed participants that In Pakistan Nicotine replacement therapy was included in the essential drugs list in 2017 but yet it is not easily available easily in pakistan.
Moreover he said, 163000 Pakistanis lost their lives every year due to the use of tobacco.
Due to the rising ratio of illness because of smoking it put 615 billion rupees burden in the form of health cost which is 1.6 % of GDP, it was also five times higher as compare to the income generated from tobacco industry in 2019.
Whereas, Jafar Mehdi from ARI stressed on the need of ending smoking from country through making smoking cessation services available and accessible, adding that alternative reduced-risk products are safer than combustible smoking, therefore, smokers should have the options to use safer nicotine products to quit smoking.
He said the government should help smokers in their quit smoking attempts and make them part of the smoking cessation initiatives.
The participants regarding discussed the strategies to prevent young generation from starting smoking and they also shared their thoughts regarding the availability of cessation services for smokers .
At last all the participants showed their commitment to help the young generation to avoid smoking and they told to consider themselves also if they smoke routinely or occasionally.
Peoples from different walks of lives including Civil Society, students, human rights activists and notables of various areas participated in the session in large numbers and vowed to support this noble cause.
