The Alternative Research Initiative (ARI) has called for a significant scale-up in efforts to provide effective and affordable smoking cessation services across Pakistan, where an estimated 31 million people are tobacco users.
“Smoking is a major public health issue in Pakistan, contributing to a wide range of diseases, including cancer, heart disease, and respiratory conditions,” said Arshad Ali Syed, Project Director of ARI. “The economic and social costs of tobacco consumption are immense, with billions of rupees lost each year due to healthcare costs and reduced productivity. We cannot afford to delay further—smoking cessation services need to be made more accessible and affordable.”
Studies indicate that tobacco use results in approximately 160,000 deaths annually in Pakistan, placing a substantial burden on the healthcare system. Total costs attributable to all smoking-related diseases and deaths in Pakistan in 2019 were Rs615.07 billion. This was five times higher than the overall tax revenue the government generated from the tobacco industry – Rs120bn in 2019.
“Millions of Pakistanis are trapped in a cycle of addiction to tobacco, and many are unable to access the help they need to quit,” Arshad said. “Effective smoking cessation programs have proven to be successful, but they remain out of reach for a large portion of the population, particularly in rural areas. We must expand these services to ensure they are affordable and widely available.”
A comprehensive approach to smoking cessation that includes increasing public awareness, providing better access to counseling, and ensuring that nicotine replacement therapies are both affordable and accessible can help adult smokers quit smoking.
“Effective and affordable cessation services can significantly reduce the number of smokers and, in turn, ease the economic and social burden that smoking places on our country,” Arshad emphasized. “We call on the government and all stakeholders to join us in this critical mission to promote public health and save lives.”
