MULTAN – At least one thousand children start smoking in Pakistan daily, and 30 per cent of them die due to the complications caused by smoking.
Also, around 15 per cent of Pakistan’s population is in the addiction to smoking, including 54pc male and 20pc female population.
Talking to APP on the eve of World No Tobacco Day (May 31), Nishtar Medical University (NMU) Pro Vice-Chancellor Dr Ahmed Ijaz Masood said that according to a survey conducted by the UNDP, a Pakistani, on an average, smokes 620 cigarettes annually, while for an Indian smoker, the average is 119 cigarettes. A Sir Lankan smokes 329 cigarettes, while a Bangladeshi smokes 202 cigarettes on an average annually.
Dr Ijaz Masood, who is also the head of Cancer Department at NMU, said that around 3.5 million people die of smoking annually, and this number may go up to 10 million people in the years to come. He said that an expert, Prof Peto, says that six people die of smoking in every minute in the world and by the end of 21 century one billion people will die of it.
Smoking is the major cause of heart ailments, cancer and premature deliveries, he said, adding that there was dire need to create awareness against it.
Dr Masood said that the cancer society was playing a role effectively to sensitise masses about ill effects of smoking.
