1200 children start smoking every day in Pakistan: report

According to a report published by Dr. Nausheen Hamid, Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of National Health Services, around 1,200 children start smoking cigarettes every day.

The report revealed that children between the ages of 6 and 12 are also among those 1,200 children who smoke every day. Dr. Nausheen said that every year in Pakistan, more than 160,000 people died due to tobacco use.

“The tobacco industry tries to attract young generations to become users their customers,” said Dr. Nausheen.

According to the reports, Pakistan has tried many ways to control the excessive use of tobacco, including banning smoking in public or workplaces, even on public transport.

The report further revealed that Pakistan’s laws have also forbidden the sale of tobacco products within 50 meters of educational institutions; schools, colleges, or universities. It is illegal for people under the age of 18 to use tobacco products.

In Pakistan, tobacco advertising and promotion have also been banned, including advertising on electronic and print media.

There are 23.9 million tobacco users in Pakistan, 15.6 million out of them are smokers, the data available on the Pakistani health ministry’s tobacco control cell.

According to the tobacco control cell,

“5,000 Pakistanis are admitted to the hospitals every day due to tobacco and 39 percent of households are exposed daily to secondhand tobacco smoke.”