Alternative Research Initiative (ARI) has asked Tobacco Control Cell (TCC) to hold wide ranging consultations and preparing a long-term plan for ending combustible smoking and making Pakistan smoke free.

“In the next ten years, eliminating combustible smoking from Pakistan is possible,” Arshad Ali Syed, Project Director ARI, said. He added smoking was still one of the few major threats to public health today.

According to latest estimates, the number of tobacco users in Pakistan has increased from 23.9 million in 2014 to 31 million (more than three million) now. Of them, 17 million are smokers.

He added that for successfully achieving the goal of a smoke free Pakistan, the most important initiative is the easy provision of facilities for smoking cessation. “If we want the rate of smoking to decrease in Pakistan, we must first help those smokers who could not get rid of this habit. It is necessary to provide smoking cessation services to such adult smokers. Access to smoking cessation services and facilities should be a basic human right.” Unfortunately, he said smoking cessation services are limited in Pakistan.

More related: Pakistan urged to embrace safer nicotine alternatives for a smoke free future

Arshad said today the developed countries were working to completely eliminate smoking. A country is said to be smoke free when the number of adult smokers falls below five percent. Sweden will be the first to reach its goal. In the last 15 years, the smoking rate in Sweden has come down from 15.6% to 5.6%.

Arshad said while many other factors play a role in this success, a major factor is the easy availability of less harmful alternative tobacco products commonly known as Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR). He said Pakistan should also review the THR as a part of the tobacco control efforts. “THR products should be sensibly regulated, keeping in view the risk they pose.”

Arshad maintained the focus of smoking control efforts in Pakistan was on reducing the smoking rate, while the rest of the world is planning and implementing its complete elimination. He said that the Tobacco Control Cell should initiate dialogue with all stakeholders, especially smokers, for the complete elimination of smoking from Pakistan.