Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Finance Secretary Dr SM Qaisar Sajjad on Thursday welcomed the Supreme Court’s order to all provincial governments to launch a crackdown against sheesha cafes and said the decision will help reduce the incident of cancer cases.
Dr Sajjad while talking to PPI said that the apex court had ordered provincial governments to launch a crackdown against sheesha cafes and close cafes across the country, which will help decrease the ratio of cancer cases.
He said that cancer is rapidly spreading in various countries like Pakistan. He said mouth, breast, liver, lungs and stomach cancer cases are more prevalent in our country.
He said rising trend of shessha smoking is major issue facing Pakistan nowadays as sheesha is 100 times more harmful than cigarette. He said regular smoking of sheesha may lead to cancer of the lungs, mouth, stomach, and other diseases.
He said use of tobacco products in the form of sheesha and cigarettes are gaining popularity in young generation due to several reasons. He said consumption of cigarettes and sheesha are not only dangerous for smokers but also hazardous to other people.
He said mouth cancer is common disease nowadays in younger generation. He said mostly people are unaware that how danger the liquid of betel nut and gutka is, which are manufactured with hazardous chemicals.
He said major causes of mouth cancer is increasing trend of chewing the betel leaf, betel nut, smoking cigarettes and use of sheesha.
He said smoking cigarettes at public place and their sale should banned strictly in the society. Beside this, sale of tobacco products like betel leaf, betel nut, mainpuri, and gutaka should also be banned and law should be implemented strictly.
He said all necessary laws exist in the country, but unfortunately, authorities concerned had failed to enforce those laws in the society.
