ISLAMABAD (ANN/THE DAWN) – Pakistan’s annual death toll from smoking is the highest in South Asia and exceeds the global average, according to Gallup Pakistan’s analysis of the Global Burden of Disease 2024 report.
The report indicates Pakistan recorded a smoking-related death rate of 91.1 per 100,000 people in 2024, significantly higher than South Asia’s average of 78.1 and the global average of 72.6. Gallup Pakistan, an independent organization not affiliated with the Washington-based Gallup, highlighted the country’s grim statistics.
Between 1990 and 2021, Pakistan achieved a 35 per cent relative reduction in smoking-related death rates. However, this is lower compared to India (37 per cent), South Asia (38 per cent), and the global average (42 per cent).
The affordability of cigarettes in Pakistan remains a concern. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that purchasing 100 packs of the most-sold cigarette brand requires only 3.7 per cent of the GDP per capita in Pakistan. This is much lower than in India (9.8 per cent) and Bangladesh (4.2 per cent).
Between 2012 and 2022, the share of GDP per capita needed to buy 100 packs increased by 38 per cent, reflecting rising cigarette prices. Despite this, cigarettes remain relatively affordable compared to neighboring countries.
A Gallup Pakistan poll conducted in 2022 found that 80 per cent of smokers in Pakistan expressed a desire to quit smoking, signaling a strong public appetite for anti-smoking initiatives.
Efforts to combat smoking-related deaths include legislative measures. In November, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Health Department was urged to enact the long-pending KP Prohibition of Tobacco and Protection of Non-Smokers Health Bill. The bill, under review since 2016, has been seen as a critical step in reducing smoking rates and protecting non-smokers.
A June 2024 study revealed that 95 per cent of children in Pakistan and Bangladesh are exposed to second-hand smoke, putting them at higher risk of respiratory tract infections and, for some with hereditary conditions, even death.
