Islamabad,(parliament Times): Society for Protection of Rights of the Child (SPARC) organized an online briefing to discuss the importance of health levy as it’s a win-win deal. Country Head of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Malik Imran Ahmed, said health burden caused by Tobacco to Pakistani economy is 615 billion every year, whereas the revenue collected from Tobacco Industry is 115 billion rupees. He requested the govt. to expedite the implementation of a health levy on tobacco products, as this will bring in more revenue for the govt. which can exclusively be used for uplifting health standards to achieve health goals under SGDs. He further quoted STOP Survey 2020, according to which Pakistan smokers spend 10% of their average monthly income on cigarettes. He told the media, that tobacco use in poor households worsens poverty by increasing health care costs, reducing incomes, and decreasing productivity, as well as diverting limited family resources from basic needs and investments in nutrition and education. Tobacco also contributes to poverty as the poorest 60% of households spent 4.1% of their budget on cigarettes, whereas wealthier households spent only 2.5%.Khalil Ahmed Dogar, Program Manager SPARC said that smoking has become a fashion in children in Pakistan, 1200 children initiate smoking daily, 2 in 5 smokers-initiated cigarettes smoking before the age of 10. Four out of ten children under five years of age are stunted while 17.7% suffer from wasting. The double burden of malnutrition is becoming increasingly apparent, with almost one in three children underweight (28.9%) alongside a high prevalence of overweight (9.5%) in the same age group.
The effects of smoking on children are indisputable. On the other hand, second-hand smoke causes numerous health problems in infants and children, including more frequent and severe asthma attacks, respiratory infections, ear infections, and sudden infant death syndrome. Implementation of a health levy will help fund the health department, and generate revenue for the country that can be used for these children to fight malnutrition, he added. Mr. Shariq Mahmood Khan, CEO of Chromatic Trust said that tobacco use is a major contributor to non-transmissible diseases, such as lung cancer and heart disease. Additionally, tobacco use generates considerable economic costs, including increased spending on health care to treat diseases it causes in people who use tobacco and those exposed to tobacco smoke, as well as lost productivity and income due to illness and early deaths. He further added that a health levy will generate additional revenue, mitigate the cost of tobacco consumption, and will reduce overall tobacco consumption.