Pakistan has actively adopted multiple measures suggested by the WHO in its fight against smoking. These measures include placing visible health warnings on products, and imposing limitations on advertisements across national television, radio, and print media. Together with this a further impressive 90% of public areas have been declared smoke-free.
However, there is still a consistent link between tobacco use and heart disease and stroke, two major causes of death in Pakistan. Even with an overall tobacco smoking rate of 13.1%, 12.4% of the population still utilises Naswar, and so, the extensive use of toxic smokeless tobacco(SLT) products remains prevalent.
While Pakistan must sustain its ongoing tobacco control initiatives, a recent report underscores the importance of incorporating three crucial practices. These measures aim to prevent 1.2 million premature deaths in Pakistan alone and involve implementing tobacco harm reduction (THR) policies, enhancing the accessibility of THR products, and advancing access to diagnostics and treatment for tobacco-related diseases.
Enhancing the accessibility and acceptance of tobacco harm reduction (THR) products, like oral nicotine pouches and vaping, benefits both tobacco smokers and consumers of smokeless products. The report illustrates that around 6.2% of the population is already using e-cigarettes, underscoring the potential for heightened success in the strategy by further increasing accessibility.
Also, by making early diagnosis and cost-effective treatment focal points “should lead to rapid declines in highly preventable oral cancers” and will cater to a demographic that would have potentially been marginalised by the healthcare system.
However, these 3 steps and their significance extend beyond Pakistan. While the report details the life-saving potential in Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, and South Africa, it also explores the wider impact of these practices on Southeast Asia as a collective.
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