Hike in Tobacco Taxes for FY-2024-25 demanded

ISLAMABAD: Speakers of the policy dialogue on tobacco taxation to highlight the contribution of the tobacco industry to Pakistan’s economy and the health cost burden due to tobacco use organized by the Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC) have called for immediate increase in tobacco taxation for the fiscal year 2024-25 terming it in larger interest of country and its people.

Speaking on the occasion, former caretaker information minister Murtaza Solangi said that low cigarettes prices were the reason why children and youth initiate smoking. He said that smoking-related illnesses and deaths incur substantial economic costs in Pakistan’s GDP every year. These increasing health cost burdens encompass healthcare expenses, productivity losses due to illness and premature death, as well as other indirect economic impacts, he added.

Solangi further stated that the tobacco epidemic requires comprehensive strategies encompassing public health interventions, strong tobacco control policies and awareness campaigns. By tackling tobacco use, Pakistan can mitigate economic losses associated with smoking-related illnesses, potentially alleviate the burden on its healthcare system and keep young people safe from the harms of tobacco use.

Dean Allied Healthcare Sciences, Lung Diseases and Tobacco Control, Health Services Academy, Prof. Dr. Matiur Rehman said that tobacco-related illnesses also known as non-communicable diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart diseases contribute to over 160,000 deaths annually in Pakistan. These deaths not only affect individuals but also have long-term impacts on families, communities and the healthcare system, he noted.