Higher Tobacco taxes can improve health, raise revenue: Experts

ISLAMABAD: The health experts on Saturday underlined that Pakistan was among the world’s largest tobacco-using nations with 24 million active smokers in the country.

They were speaking at a consultative session organised by Pakistan National Heart Association (PANAH) in Islamabad.

PANAH Director Operations Sanaullah Ghumman said smoking was one of the leading causes of death worldwide.

The most effective solution is to increase taxes on tobacco items and make it more expensive, they suggested.

It is with great disappointment that we see inflation has resulted in an increase in all essential products such as food and medicine but tobacco prices have remained alarmingly stagnant since the last five years.

About 1,200 children start smoking in Pakistan every day. Experts

“Today about 1200 children start smoking in Pakistan every day due to the easy availability of cheap cigarettes. That is why the number of tobacco users has reached 24 million, they explained.

“We request the new government under the leadership of PM Shehbaz Sharif to take rapid action and increase tax on tobacco products by at least 30 percent to protect our young generation,” the health experts prayed.

There are 24 million tobacco users in Pakistan. Experts

Dr Sidrah said that smoking is one of the major causes of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Pakistan, tobacco incurs an enormous health burden of about Rs 615 billion in the country while generating only Rs120 billion in revenue from taxes.

“Adverse effects of tobacco are not only restricted to health but extend to an economic burden as well. Raising taxes will help mitigate the health burden while raising additional revenue for the country,” she said.

Tobacco incurs an enormous health burden of about Rs 615 billion on the country while generating Rs120 billion in revenue.

The participants in the meeting observed that Pakistan is one of the most tobacco-consuming countries in the world, asking the government to review the tax policy in the wider interest of the people, especially for the younger generation.

Developed nations like New Zealand are already on a mission to make their children tobacco-free completely while other countries in the region are quickly adapting WHO recommendation of higher taxes to protect their youth, they observed.

Pakistan must follow the same vision and start implementing stricter policies for tobacco control, the health experts suggested.