A two-day consultative workshop organized by SPARC, an organization working to protect children’s rights, was held in Islamabad, in which government representatives, policymakers, teachers, parents, journalists and health experts participated.
The workshop aimed to review the implementation of the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) in Pakistan and develop effective strategies to curb the growing trend of smoking.
Addressing the workshop, Murtaza Solangi, Spokesperson for the President of Pakistan and former Caretaker Federal Minister for Information, said that tobacco is a “silent killer” that kills more than 8 million people worldwide every year, which is more than the deaths caused by HIV.
He said that about 27 million people in Pakistan smoke and more than 166,000 deaths occur every year due to tobacco-related diseases.
“Pakistan must impose a complete ban on tobacco. This is not just a health issue but also a matter of protecting our future generations,” stressed Murtaza Solangi.
Dr Khalil Ahmed Dogar, Program Manager, SPARK, said that although Pakistan has made some progress in tobacco control, there is still a lot of work to be done. He said that “a complete ban on all direct and indirect advertising is necessary so that we can give our children a safe future.”
The participants agreed that strict implementation of laws, awareness campaigns, and a ban on the marketing of tobacco products can make Pakistan a healthy and tobacco-free country.
