Pakistan observes World No Tobacco Day 2012 with over 70 percent of Pakistani population exposed to tobacco toxins every day. Theme for the current year day, observed on every 31st May, “Tobacco Industry Interference,” holds extreme relevance to Pakistan where cigarette consumption per person per year in Pakistan is the highest in South Asia. This is again in a situation where tobacco use is one of the leading preventable causes of death in the country. Despite the fact that Anti-tobacco Law was adopted by the national assembly in 2002 followed by another relevant adopted by Sindh Assembly in 2011 that imposed ban on “Sheesha” smoking no meaningful change could be witnessed in public vulnerability to the hazardous items.
Sheesha smoking is much more socially acceptable and popular among youngsters than smoking cigarettes; however, according to experts’ opinion 1 hour of Sheesha smoking is equal to smoking 100 cigarettes. An increasing number of cafes and restaurants across the country are serving Sheesha to customers of all ages. This year, more than five million people will die from a tobacco-related lung ailment, heart attack, stroke, cancer or other disease.
That does not include the more than 600,000 people, more than a quarter of them children, who will die from exposure to second-hand smoke.
The annual death toll from the global epidemic of tobacco use could rise to 8 million by 2030. Having killed 100 million people during the 20th century, tobacco use could kill 1 billion during the 21st century. Over half of the deaths caused by lung diseases are related to smoking.
The global tobacco epidemic kills nearly 6 million people each year, of which more than 600,000 are people exposed to second-hand smoke.
Unless we act, it will kill up to 8 million people by 2030, of which more than 80% will live in low and middle-income countries, said Dr Nadeem Rizvi, head of chest department, JPMC.
It is tobacco smoking that causes 90 percent of fatal lung disease Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), a condition that obstructs the airways in the lungs. COPD consists of a number of components, including inflammation, that cause limitations to airflow in the lungs and breathing difficulties, affecting patients’ health, quality of life and ultimately survival.
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