Health Professionals Demand Increased Taxation On Cigarettes

KARACHI, May. 17 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th May, 2017 ) : Health professionals, representing different professional bodies, here on Wednesday, sought meaningful and steady raise in taxation on cigarettes in the forthcoming budget for fiscal year 2017-2018.

Reiterating the urgency to curb the growing tobacco epidemic in the country, they also demanded Federal and provincial governments to ensure strict enforcement of "Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of non-smoker's Health Ordinance 2002." Doctors belonging to National Alliance for Tobacco Control (NATC), Pakistan Chest Society (PCS), Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA) and Pakistan Medical Association (PMA), in an emergency meeting regretted that taxation on cigarette in Pakistan was lowest in the region and that low taxation rate encourages public, especially youth.

Research conducted by International Agency for Research on Cancer last year was cited to had shown that 50% increase in inflation adjusted price reduces smoking prevalence by 20%. Prof. Javaid Khan, NATC chairman and senior Chest Physician at Aga Khan University said profound increase in tobacco taxes is a highly effective tobacco control strategy and lead to significant improvements in public health.

Quoting a research conducted by World Bank, he commented that increasing the tax by 10 percent can reduce the tobacco consumption by eight percent in low income country like Pakistan.

Dr. Javed A Khan said any tax reduction on products causing serious threat to human life will not be acceptable to the medical community of the country.

With regard to implementation Health Ordinance 2002, he said it is crucial to protect the public health from tobacco which happens to be the single largest preventable cause of death in Pakistan.

He alongwith other health experts regretted that smoking kills 100,000 Pakistanis every year and according to a WHO report, every adult consumes 510 cigarettes on average every year which is alarming.

This death toll is far greater than total deaths occurring as a result of suicidal bombings, traffic accidents and crime related killings in a given year, said Dr. Javed A Khan. "He also warned that tobacco in any form increases an already extensive risk of Heart disease in individuals suffering from hypertension and/or diabetes.

Nicotine present in tobacco increases insulin resistance in the body and hampers good control of diabetes, he explained. Dr Khan also regretted the closure of Tobacco Control cell in Islamabad which was working under ministry of health. more/rh/msk/rn