By: Dr. Khalil Ahmad Dogar
Back in January, I wrote about media stories appearing at the time, which not only made unfounded accusations about trusted global health organizations working legally in Pakistan, but which also sought to undermine the evidence-based tobacco control movement, which is saving millions of lives around the world. This movement could save even more lives and prevent needless suffering if ill-intentioned and uninformed critics stop echoing the arguments of tobacco companies.
According to the World Health Organization, tobacco use kills over 163,000 Pakistanis every year. Tobacco use – perpetuated by addiction to the nicotine found in cigarettes and other tobacco and nicotine products like heated tobacco products and e-cigarettes – has proven links to conditions like heart disease, lung disease and cancer. Around 24 million adults in Pakistan use tobacco products, 15.6 million smoke tobacco and 7.6 million use smokeless products.
To be abundantly clear, critics of tobacco control in Pakistan are echoing the talking points that tobacco companies use around the world to block and weaken evidence-based health policies. Furthermore, recent claims that organizations promoting common sense health policies have somehow fed into United States administration policy to pull back foreign assistance are fabrications meant to create controversy and confusion. One of the organizations mentioned, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, does not even receive funding from the United States government.
Here are the main points to keep in mind. One: There is a well-established, science-based set of policies that are known to reduce tobacco use. Two: The government of Pakistan has committed to passing and implementing these policies as a party to a World Health Organization treaty known as the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Three: International organizations supporting the global tobacco control movement are operating legally in Pakistan and seek only to support government goals to improve health and save lives. There is nothing secret or radical about this work, indeed it is part of the global public health mainstream.
The tobacco companies are frightened by these proven policies – which include measures like health warnings on tobacco packaging, banning tobacco advertising, making cigarettes more expensive and stopping smoking in public places like parks and restaurants – because they threaten the immense profits to be made by selling deadly and additive products like cigarettes, heated cigarettes and electronic cigarettes. Opposition to tobacco control policies is part of a well-orchestrated campaign by the global tobacco industry and its allies to maximize profits from tobacco and nicotine products. All these products have been shown by the world’s leading health experts, including the WHO and leading, non-partisan academic researchers, to be harmful.
As an educationist, researcher, long-time champion of public health and child rights activists, I am very worried about the impacts of tobacco and nicotine use on Pakistan’s future, especially our children and youth, and I’m very concerned about the tobacco industry’s recent misinformation campaign.
Fortunately, the solutions to Pakistan’s tobacco epidemic are readily available – it just takes political will and public support. Unfortunately, sneaky interference from the world’s giant tobacco companies is interfering with progress in Pakistan.
The government of Pakistan has made excellent progress toward passing and implementing the policies proven to save lives from tobacco and nicotine products. Even greater progress could be made if not for the global tobacco companies coming in from outside to interfere with our policies with the help of institutions in Pakistan.
I call on the government, civil society, and the media to work together to support the policies that will improve health, and reject advances from tobacco companies that only hurt our country.
The writer is a public health advocate and works as a Program Manager at the Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC)
