By : Sanaullah Ghman
Nowadays, if any discussion starts on any topic in any forum, there are a lot of arguments. It is a different matter that we go to great lengths to prove ourselves and others wrong. Such arguments and justifications are offered that it seems as if what they are hearing is the truth,but not so, the search for the truth is undoubtedly a difficult step, but also necessary, so that the facts can be brought to light.
If any work is done with pure intention and passion then success is sure to come with blessings.As the general secretary of a health-related organization (PANAH), years have passed in trying to figure out how to make more efforts to improve the health of the people. Succeeded in many endeavors. How is it possible to prevent such factors from causing blood poisoning in our veins?
It is a fact that in our country, even unhealthy items to brighten up our trade are easily sold to people in the name of habit, hobby and entertainment, which not only cause illness for their health, but also slowly lead you to the brink of death. I am point out to the increasingly dangerous use of tobacco in young boys and girls. Amateurs start smoking with one or two puffs in their party, then the same puff with two or three puffs. And then they push a whole pack of cigarettes. But wait! It doesn’t end there, This is the first step in attracting our young generation to drugs. Because smoking contains such toxic ingredients, which increase our demand and then they going to habitual.
Tobacco swallows the lives of 8 million people every year like a python . Please I want to tell you must that whats the actual story behind of this, Because it is about the health and life of the present and future generations of my country,That tobacco is a “brutal killer”, Who does not see that this girl is the pride of her parents, this child is the future of home and nation, this father is responsible for the sustenance of the whole family, Just make it a habit and then stay with it till the time of death.
About 200,000 people in Pakistan suffer from tobacco-related diseases every year alone, while the country faces a health burden of Rs 615 billion annually due to tobacco-related diseases. One of the major causes of many diseases including heart, mouth, lung cancer, respiratory, stomach and liver diseases is “tobacco” which is a silent killer. Just as cigarettes dissolve into smoke in the air, so does a person who uses it gradually end his life.
Our youth are our future,But for education, whether it is a group of joint studies, a picnicplace or a sheesha center, smoking is common. Nowadays, nicotine pouches in a beautiful box called VELO (made from tobacco leaf extract) are readily available at educational institutions, street grocery stores, and pan shops. This is a new tactic of the tobacco industry to make the product easily accessible to the young generation especially the girls as the first target of the tobacco industry is our young generation. The tobacco industry sells colorful packaging and flavored tobacco products to the younger generation on a preferential basis. And with that, by giving a few billion rupees of revenue to the government, it acquits itself of all charges.International organizations say that tobacco is the killer of half of its consumers. Taxes are an effective way to prevent this. If taxes on tobacco products are increased, then its sales will decrease. This is not us, says the World Health Organization (WHO) and many countries. Has reduced its use by increasing this practice.
Our goal is not to criticize anyone, but to always inform the government and agencies about the factors that harm human health. I appeal to the Prime Minister of Pakistan Mian Shahbaz Sharif to increase the tax by at least 30% in the next budget 2022-23 to curb this brutal killer tobacco.Which is one of the recommendations of the World Bank for Pakistan, because it is a question of the health of the young generation of my country and their future.
Increasing taxes will reduce the purchasing power of tobacco in our young children, and they will avoid drinking this poison. And because of that our Pakistanis will also be safe from diseases, The government will reduce the cost of these diseases and will also increase the revenue, which can be used for development projects in the country.