Insidious propaganda against tobacco control efforts has sought to undermine the efforts of anti-tobacco advocates in Pakistan.
National Tobacco Control Strategy NTCS has been approved in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other donor organizations working in tobacco control along with all provincial health departments and civil society organizations.
In this regard, negative propaganda against tobacco control efforts will worsen the gravity of the situation.
The absence of domestic funding for tobacco control leaves the field vulnerable to the insidious machinations of the tobacco industry. Its interference extends across various fronts, from advocating for the legalization of heated tobacco products (HTPs) to contesting measures aimed at enhancing public awareness through larger pictorial health warnings and levying higher taxes on cigarettes. Such interventions serve to perpetuate the cycle of addiction i.e., 1200-1500 children start smoking every day, further deteriorating 163,000 annual deaths caused by smoking in Pakistan while undermining public health initiatives.
Communication Officer Society for Alternative Media and Research (SAMAR) Ashfaq Ahmad said that the aggressive marketing strategies employed by the tobacco industry, coupled with its demonstrated capacity to influence governmental decision-making processes, underscore the gravity of the situation.
Despite the escalating public health crisis posed by rising tobacco consumption in Pakistan, governmental funding earmarked for tobacco control remains conspicuously absent.
Project Coordinator Coalition for Tobacco Control Pakistan (CTCT-Pak) Zeeshan Danish said that government and tobacco control advocates while utilizing expertise of donor agencies are working to reduce traditional and new tobacco products.
To safeguard the integrity of tobacco control, there is an urgent imperative to establish an autonomous and sustainable tobacco control program, independently funded by the government.
This independent program would not only ensure continuity and efficacy in tobacco control measures but will also reduce tobacco consumption.
In conclusion, it is a well-known fact that international organizations hire people for work from across the globe and propaganda on this basis. is truly out of the question. The propagation aimed at discrediting donor agencies collaborating with anti-tobacco advocates in Pakistan demands nationwide condemnation.
We appreciate donor agencies’ help and expertise in assisting tobacco control efforts in Pakistan.
