Study: Smokers' support for new anti-smoking measures in Pakistan

A survey conducted in Pakistan sought to assess the level of support among the population, particularly Pakistani smokers, for the implementation of anti-smoking policies.[1]. Result: the latter strongly support these measures. As the survey highlights, public support for anti-smoking policy measures is one of the conditions for their success.

The researchers conducted their study in ten cities across Pakistan, randomly selecting households that included a smoker. Several measures were submitted for their consideration: a complete ban on tobacco sales within the next ten years, raising the legal age for purchasing tobacco products from 18 to 21, increasing tobacco taxes to fund healthcare, and banning smoking in cars around minors.

Anti-smoking measures welcomed in Pakistan

Between September 2019 and March 2020, more than 6,000 people were surveyed. These proposals thus appear to be supported by the sample surveyed. Thus, 86.5% of respondents declared themselves in favor of banning smoking in cars in the presence of children, 82% for a complete ban on the sale of tobacco within ten years, 77.9% for a ban on the purchase of tobacco before the age of 21, 68.1% for an increase in taxes on tobacco products. As the study specifies, support for these measures could vary according to several factors, such as the age of the person surveyed, their education, and their levels of tobacco consumption.

Developing the regulatory framework

Given these findings, the authors of the survey urge Pakistani policymakers to strengthen tobacco control policies. As mentioned a recent article According to the Tobacco Free Generation, tobacco is still considered in Pakistan as a lever for economic growth, rather than a central public health issue. This paradigm has a particularly high cost for the population: each year, 163,000 people die prematurely from the consequences of tobacco consumption.

Keywords: Pakistan, Study

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[1] Siddiqi K, Siddiqui F, Boeckmann M, et al, Attitudes of smokers towards tobacco control policies: findings from the Studying Tobacco users of Pakistan (STOP) survey, Tobacco Control Published Online First: 14 December 2020. doi: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2020-055995

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