Tobacco smoking in Pakistan is legal, but under certain circumstances is banned. If calculated on per day basis, 177 million cigarettes per day were consumed in FY-14. According to the Pakistan Demographic Health Survey, 46 per cent men and 5.7 per cent women smoke tobacco. The habit is mostly found in the youth of Pakistan and in farmers, and is thought to be responsible for various health problems and deaths in the country. Smoking produces many health problems in smokers. Pakistan has the highest consumption of tobacco in South Asia.
Pakistanis spent Rs. 250 billion on over 64 billion cigarettes in the financial year FY14, disclosed a State Bank report recently issued. The State Bank's Statistical Bulletin reports that Pakistanis smoked 64.48bn cigarettes in the year FY-14. The average price of cigarette is considered Rs4 and the total price of 64.48bn cigarettes comes to an estimated Rs258bn. The most popular brand Gold Leaf is available at Rs 120 per pack of 20 cigarettes or Rs 6 per cigarette. The minimum price of cigarettes available in the market is Rs 25 per pack of 20 cigarettes or Rs2.5 per cigarette. Costly imported cigarettes are also available in the market which can go up to Rs 150 plus per pack. The main 3 companies took major part in tobacco industry. There are a number of smuggled cigarettes which find their way from Afghanistan whose landing port is in Karachi, Pakistan.
Effects on health
in Pakistan is caused directly by tobacco in 90% of cases. It claims lives of 100,000 people every year. According to the study conducted by Sustainable Development Policy Institute on national treasury versus public health 2018–19, it was learned that there are above 23.9 million tobacco users in the country, out of which 125000 are dying every year because of tobacco inducted diseases. and tobacco usage is still increasing day by day and mostly are children.
Smoking fashion
A High amount of the youth in Karachi is addicted to tobacco smoking. It has become fashion for students to smoke Hookah in Hookah lounges. Recently, In the year 2019, Hookah was banned all over Pakistan and Hookah lounge were closed down by the authorities.
Smoking Alternatives in Pakistan
A fairly recent introduction to smoking alternatives in Pakistan is Nicotine Pouches. Launched by the Pakistan Tobacco Company is dubbed as a much cleaner and healthier alternative to smoking. According to the company the product which is named VELO Nicotine Pouch is a tobacco free pouch that the users can place in their mouth and get a nicotine delivery system that does not involve any combustion and is extremely safe and healthy way to get the nicotine without the harmful effects of smoking.
