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Serious actions needed to curb smoking

Islamabad, 31 May 2016: Health experts urged the government to take serious actions to curb smoking by increasing taxes, implementation of ban of tobacco use in public places and selling to under 18.

Ramzan is a month of blessing for Muslims. It is an opportunity for all smokers to start the holy month with quitting tobacco.

This was briefed to media cell of Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA) by leading experts on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day observed on 31st May.

They included Prof Mukhtar Zaman Afridi, Head of the Pulmonology Department KTH Peshawar; Dr Saeedullah Shah, Consultant Cardiology Shifa International Hospital Islamabad; and Dr Najib Naimatullah Cancer specialist at SIUT and Shoukat Khanam Hospital.

Dr Mukhtar Zaman said that tobacco consumption is one of the largest public health hazards the world has ever had to confront. Over 5 million people each year are killed, an average of 1 human every 6 seconds. Tobacco accounts for 1 in every 10 adult deaths. He also said that up to 50% of current users of tobacco products will eventually die of a tobacco-linked disease.

Dr Saeedullah Shah warned that unless tobacco is controlled, Pakistan will be heading to a major health crisis in the coming years with heart diseases as the leading killer.

Dr Najib Naimatullah was worried on the growing incidence of mouth cancer due to gutka and tobacco chewing, and lung cancers due to smoking. He said these unfortunate deaths are mostly preventable by proper legislation.

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