Prominent cardiologist and Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) Surgery Department Head Professor Abdul Waheed highlighted on Monday that smoking should be declared a crime as smokers are 60 times more susceptible to cardiac disorders.
“Sedentary lifestyles, smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure and poor diet are some of the leading causes of increasing incidence of cardiac ailments in the country”, he explained.
To a question, he said that the media could play a vibrant role in creating awareness about smoking’s many hazards. “In western countries their health departments conduct anti-smoking drives from the school level and advise parents to avoid smoking in their children’s presence “, he informed.
He said that on average there were eight to 10 cardiac surgeries daily and around 2000 surgeries annually. Most of these patients are provided free treatment, he added.
Professor Waheed said that in addition to smoking, other causes of cardiac diseases should also be focused in health policy making.