“Ending Smoking from Pakistan is Possible” a discussion was organized by Child and Labor Rights Welfare Organization in collaboration with Alternative Research Initiative (ARI) in Karachi.
Members of civil society and community leaders along with university students, laborers and doctors attended the event.
Qazi Khizar (Vice Chairperson HRCP, Sindh) started off the event saying that the aim of this gathering was to not only raise awareness about the harms of smoking and the benefits of quitting, but also to engage key demographics in this conversation to set a foundation for future endeavors against smoking.
He further stated that around one billion people around the world are addicted to tobacco most of whom are found in developing countries.
He stated that around 5 million people lose their lives to smoking related health issues every year and this number is projected to be around 8 million by 2030.
Smoking and its hazards are a serious burden on our health care system.
Mir Zulfiqar Executive Director, Workers Education and Research Organization further went on to explain the hazards of smoking and what to expect when you quit.
He enumerated the several acute and chronic conditions that you can be afflicted with if you are a smoker (chronic cough, loss of taste, loss of appetite, asthma, cancers of mouth, lung and stomach) then going on to tell the benefits of quitting (regulation of blood pressure, decreased risk of cancers, return of taste and appetite).
He emphasized that we need grass root level primary care health centers that have health care practitioners trained in helping people quit.
He also said that till we do not make an anti-smoking culture and understand why people smoke we will not make much headway.
Highlighting the role of the government in this fight against smoking he said that the state needs to step up and create a culture that frowns upon smoking through awareness campaigns and the strict implementation of already existing laws (Federal Ordinance, 2002 and Provincial Act, 2019).
Jaffer Mehdi from (ARI) affirmed the importance of nicotine replacement products (e-cigarettes, gums, patches etc.)
He also stated that even though these products have an important place in helping people quit, these products are also addictive although safer.
He emphasized that these replacement products should be regulated and taken only with the prescription and guidance of a doctor.
Smoking adds a huge burden on the already collapsing health care system of Pakistan and puts the government in even more debt.
Not only does it come at great personal risk but also is incredibly injurious to the people around you.
The aim of every government should be to make its state a smoke free country.
Journalist Sohail Sangi, Dr. Birma, Latif Dohrai, Ayub Shan, and Saeed Baloch also talked about their experiences and added to the discussion. At last Abdul Hai thanked the attendees on behalf of CLRWO.
