KARACHI, May 30: Senior academicians and health professionals at a media briefing held here on Friday called for a total ban on the manufacturing and sale of cigarettes and other tobacco-related products, saying that these products were injurious to human health and damaging to the national economy.

The briefing was organised to mark the “World No-tobacco Day” observed on Friday. The theme this year was “Tobacco-free youth”.

The medical experts and educationists vowed to build up pressure on the government to check ever-increasing consumption of tobacco, especially by youth, observing that despite introducing laws, rules and regulations, it had so far failed to curb smoking, a major public health hazard.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) attributes about five million deaths a year to tobacco consumption, saying that the figure is expected to rise to about 10 million by 2020. The organization also accuses the tobacco industry of luring youths to smoking by linking it to glamorous and attractive lifestyles.Vice-chancellor of the Dow University of Health Science Prof Masood Hameed Khan told the media that successive governments made legislation to prohibit smoking and protect non-smokers but failed to formulate an effective policy to curb tobacco consumption by the youth and protect people from the health hazard.

“A person suffering from cancer developed from smoking is virtually a burden on the entire society,” he said, adding that the government should conduct a study of the demerits of smoking.

He observed that the government did not want to lose the revenues from cigarette and other tobacco-related business in the form of taxes, and argued that the amounts were definitely not higher than what was incurred on the treatment of a huge number of people affected by smoking and tobacco consumption.

“Smoking is a deal of only loss and, as such, the government and the society must go for a total ban on it,” he stressed.

Dr Hameed called for creating more awareness of the hazards related to tobacco consumption through the media, and said that educational institutions, teachers and parents must ensure that youngsters were not encouraged or lured to smoking at any stage of their life. “We should also suggest practical alternatives of tobacco use for those already addicted,” he added.

Prof Ejaz Vohra, a senior medical specialist, observed that smoking was on the rise in developing countries, including Pakistan. He called for collective efforts to curb the menace. He supported imposition of a total ban on tobacco use, especially within all educational institutions, adding that no one should be allowed to sell cigarettes to an under-18 person.

Dr Javed A. Khan, a pulmonary and critical care expert, referred to a survey that suggested that about 24 per cent male and 16 per cent female adults in Karachi were smokers. “Consumption of even one to four cigarettes a day triples the risk of fatal heart diseases or lung cancer,” he said, adding: “Unfortunately, there is no check on the promotion and sale of tobacco products in the country despite presence of relevant laws.”

Coinciding with the “World No-tobacco Day’, a quit-smoking helpline — a toll free on-line service for the smokers willing to quit smoking — was launched. Talking on behalf of the firm sponsoring the service, Iqbal Bengali said that smoking claimed 100,000 lives every year in Pakistan and this was enough to realise that it was time to take effective measures to curb use of tobacco in all its forms.