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 which needs immediate interventions by the government 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 effective tobacco control policies reduce consumption without significantly increasing illicit trade. These claims have been disproven in country after country and it is also important to note that the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) – a global tobacco control treaty which Pakistan became a party to in 2005 – obligates countries to protect their public health policies from the harmful influence of the tobacco industry.
The Government of Pakistan has made significant progress towards adopting the policies relating to the effective control of tobacco use such as increased taxation, a ban on advertisement and larger graphical health warnings on cigarette packets. As outlined in the National Tobacco Control Strategy 2022-30, the government recognizes the important role of civil society groups, including both international and local organizations. Campaign for Tobacco-free kids through local civil society organizations, provide technical assistance to the Ministry of Health on policies and guidelines to ensure they are FCTC compliant along with being compliant with best health and safety practices. Strong support is offered for these evidence-based efforts by the government to save lives from tobacco use through stronger policies, contributing to the betterment of public health worldwide, especially the health of kids.
CTFK is working in multiple countries to support efforts to reduce tobacco use and has been instrumental in supporting stronger tobacco control measures and supporting local civil society organizations in their efforts. In Pakistan, the group’s support for local organizations has been significant in increasing awareness about the harms of tobacco use, promoting graphic health warnings and supporting restrictions on tobacco advertising.
Recently, the tobacco industry has launched a misinformation campaign against CTFK aiming to discredit their efforts in Pakistan. Such misinformation not only undermines the efforts on the ground by health advocates, compromising the integrity of evidence-based policies designed to reduce tobacco use, but also poses a direct threat to advancing public health. These recent misinformation campaigns are baseless and have no connection to reality, their sole aim is to tarnish the reputation of those working toward public health goals. They inaccurately report on CTFK, falsely claiming that the government should cease their operations. In reality, CTFK operates with the permission of the government, following legal guidelines. They are committed to working in a transparent and lawful manner to support local civil society organizations and the government of Pakistan in advancing efforts to reduce tobacco use.
As a public health advocate dedicated to safeguarding Pakistan’s children from tobacco use, I am deeply committed to exposing the recent spread of inaccurate media and social media content—part of a misinformation campaign that seeks to undermine efforts to reduce tobacco use. This is not the first time such tactics have been employed, as the tobacco industry has consistently resorted to similar strategies in the past to discredit efforts aimed at protecting public health. We stay committed to our mission, and the collective efforts of civil society organizations and public health advocates are crucial in this fight. Only through collaborative action can we ensure that Pakistan’s children and future generations are not subjected to the deadly consequences of tobacco addiction.
—The writer is a public health advocate and working as a Program Manager at Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC).
(khalilbnul@gmail.com)
