By Ahmed Mukhtar Naqshbandi
ISLAMABAD: The society for the protection of the Rights of Child (SPARC) on Wednesday stressed the importance of the pending Tobacco Health Levy Bill, to ease Pakistan’s current economic crisis.
Malik Imran Ahmed, Country Head, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK), in a press statement, mentioned that the destruction caused by tobacco-induced non-communicable diseases to Pakistan’s healthcare system is a fact. But now, the situation has escalated into something far more difficult with the decline of the national economy.
Tobacco taxes in the country are low, with an average excise tax rate of only around 45%. Over time, cigarettes are becoming more affordable due to stagnant tobacco taxes that are not keeping pace with inflation and economic growth. The government needs to implement the pending health levy bill on tobacco. Once implemented, it can help generate PKR 60 billion in revenue and relieve our national economy from further shrinking.
Dr. Ziauddin Islam, Former Technical Head Tobacco Control Cell Ministry of Health, shared the statistics, 15% of male deaths and 1% of female deaths are related to tobacco use and exposure. Around 170,000 people die annually from tobacco-related diseases in Pakistan, and almost 31,000 of these deaths are from second-hand smoke exposure.
The healthcare burden
He said that we should not forget that this number of deaths and illnesses is increasing daily and includes children. The healthcare burden that comes from tobacco-induced diseases is 615 billion rupees. The government should understand that by implementing a health levy bill on tobacco, our economy will have long-term benefits.
Khalil Ahmed, Program Manager (SPARC), stated that children are the first to suffer from tobacco use hazards because of the easy availability of cigarettes and children being the most vulnerable group of the population. The health levy bill will ensure that cigarettes become expensive and out of reach of a child’s expense. In these crunch times, we can’t afford the healthcare crisis that the tobacco industry aims to bring forth through its deadly products. It is the responsibility of the government to stand with children. Health Levy Bill must be presented in Parliament so it can become an Act and be implemented across the country.
