- Target:
- Prime Minister Islamic Republic of Pakistan
- Region:
- Pakistan
Tobacco is second leading cause of mortality in the world. Health authorities have indicated that tobacco being the strong predictor of various forms of cancers in Pakistan and in the last few decades there has been a surge in the incidence of lung and oral cancers mainly due to extensive use of different variety of tobacco products.
Nearly 100,000 people die annually and many suffer chronic ailments leading to tremendous increase in the health care cost. Thus depriving the country from healthy workforce and as well increasing the burden of disease on the overburdened health sector and huge economic damage to families due to loss of productivity and increased health-care costs.
I beseech the respected PM to save me from the havoc played by tobacco industry on me, my family and friends. Despite all efforts of your government, tobacco industry has been relentlessly killing over 100,000 Pakistanis a year.
A large number of Pakistanis are hooked to tobacco and half of the male population (50% of men) is already languishing in the clutches of the industry. Your government is addicted to tobacco revenue of annual Rs15 billion but the cost is being paid by me and the people.
One-month cost of the treatment of a cancer patient, for instance, is Rs100,000 and there are hundreds and thousands of cancer patients in the country.
Similarly, the cost of angioplasty for heart patients, majority of whom fall sick because of second hand smoke, is around Rs 200,000.
Respected Prime Minister! In the backdrop of these alarming figures, just look at your government’s budgetary allocations for health.
I humbly request you to stop tobacco industry from spreading death and disease in our beloved country. Stop it from enticing around 1,200 children daily to initiate smoking.
You just need to take a simple step: Immediately legislate a new law that comprehensively bans Tobacco Advertisement Promotion & Sponsorship (TAPS).
Please do it before it’s too late.
You can further help this campaign by sponsoring it
The Protect Us from the Tobacco industry petition to Prime Minister Islamic Republic of Pakistan was written by Ali Raza and is in the category Health at GoPetition.