Tag: tobacco
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UK parliament debates law phasing out smoking
London, United Kingdom – The UK parliament on Tuesday kicked off its first debate on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s planned flagship legislation to prevent young people from smoking, despite opposition from many in his own Conservative Party. The law would ban the selling of tobacco products to anyone born after January 1, 2009 –- effectively raising the…
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Health activists urge govt to impose higher taxes on cigarettes for public welfare
Health activists and civil society organizations are calling on the government to impose higher taxes on cigarettes in the upcoming 2023-24 budget, signaling a potential increase in smoking costs for Pakistani consumers.
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466 people are dying each day in Pakistan due to tobacco consumption
466 people die daily in Pakistan due to tobacco use related diseases, Dr Ziauddin Islam, a former technical leader of the Health Ministry’s Tobacco Control Cell, has disclosed during a discussion hosted by SPARC, Ikram Junaidi has reported for Dawn. He also said that the number of smokers in Pakistan has reached 31 million people.…
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WHO report reveals smoking causes 166,000 deaths every year in Pakistan
In Pakistan, smoking contributes to around 166,000 deaths annually, of which 31,000 are caused by passive smoking. The World Health Organization predicts that this figure won’t go down considerably in the upcoming years despite health warnings, quitting initiatives, and expanded tobacco control measures. These combustible cigarettes not only endanger the environment but also the human…
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Pakistan Customs foils attempt to smuggle chalia worth Rs2.6 crore in Karachi
An operation on Karachi’s Northern Bypass to smuggle chalia (betel nuts) worth millions was thwarted on Wednesday by Pakistan customs intelligence.
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Govt lifts import ban on luxury goods with heavy duties
On the recommendation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Miftah Ismail, announced lifting of the ban on the import of luxury and non-essential goods on Thursday. He added, however, that the Regulatory Duties (RDs) would be increased significantly to deter the import of such items. “It is requirement…
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Pakistan faces Rs615 billion annual deficit due to tobacco consumption
Pakistan has a substantial Rs615 billion annual deficit owing to diseases caused by smoking and overall tobacco usage, with only Rs120 billion earning in tax revenue from the product. The government is expected to improve revenue by raising the tax on cigarettes by 30 per cent according to The Nation. This was voiced by speakers…
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Tobacco companies in Pakistan may bump cigarette prices
Farmers have asked the government and firms to increase the price of future tobacco products in accordance with the current price hikes in pesticides, fertilisers, and other crop preparation and selling charges. On May 9, the demand was made at a meeting of Ittehad-e-Kashtkaran in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The participants agreed that the government should reduce…
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Number of smokers declining in the world, WHO report reveals
A report published by World Health Organisation has revealed that the number of smokers globally has declined in recent years, AFP has reported. According to a new WHO estimate, 1.30 billion individuals worldwide used tobacco in 2020, down from 1.32 billion two years earlier. The number is further expected to go down by 1.27 billion…
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Over 1,200 children start smoking every day in Pakistan
Around 1,200 children start smoking every day in Pakistan, Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of National Health Services, Dr Nausheen Hamid, said on Thursday. “The data we have has shown that children between ages of 6 and 12 are also among those children who start smoking every day,” Hamid said adding that more than 160,000…