Leading health experts have recommended the government to hike cigarette taxes by at least 30% to reduce tobacco consumption among Pakistan’s youth, citing data from a World Health Organization (WHO) report on escalating tobacco consumption.
In this regard, the Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC) has asked the government to ensure tobacco control by increasing cigarette taxes by at least 30% in Fiscal Year 2021-22.
According to a WHO research, over 1200 youngsters in Pakistan between the ages of 6 and 15 begin smoking every day, which they attribute to the country’s affordable cigarette rates.
He stated that 166,000 people die each year in Pakistan as a result of tobacco-related ailments. Raising tobacco pricing is one of the most effective ways to reduce tobacco control around the world, so the government is being encouraged to hike cigarette taxes by at least 30% this fiscal year.
