According to the WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, tobacco use kills over 163,000 Pakistanis every year. Tobacco use – perpetuated by addiction to the nicotine found in cigarettes and other tobacco and nicotine products like heated tobacco products and e-cigarettes – has proven links to conditions like heart disease, lung disease, and cancer.

The global statistics are far more alarming as WHO estimates suggest more than 8 million deaths each year due to tobacco consumption while 1.2 million of these are a result of second-hand smoke exposure. The data reflects that 24 million adults use tobacco products in Pakistan while 15.6 million smoke tobacco and 7.6 million use smokeless products. This is a very alarming situation that needs immediate government interventions to safeguard public health.

Around the world, efforts to reduce tobacco use are undermined by the aggressive opposition of the big tobacco industry, which puts profits over lives. The tobacco industry and its allies have a pattern of attacking and seeking to discredit organizations and advocates working to reduce tobacco use. Studies, including those from the WHO, have repeatedly debunked the industry claims, showing that........

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