Authorities will increase taxes to battle smoking: Sana Ullah

Pakistani National Heart Association (PANAH) general secretary Sana Ullah Ghumman said the government would raise taxes to prevent potential tobacco users and discourage the growing number of existing consumers. The introduction of a tobacco tax is an effective policy to prevent tobacco-related diseases and deaths in children and adolescents, he said in a press release. Sana Ullah Ghumman, referring to a study recently published by PIDE, said that 60 percent of smokers start smoking in adolescence. Sana Ullah said, “One of the main reasons for smoking at a young age is the cheapness of cigarettes. Very few people start smoking in the 1940s, when the price goes up, young people will no longer be able to smoke and will not be happy to buy cheap brands. ”Studies show that very few of these consumers turn to cheaper products and only 2 , 6 percent switch to other brands or other tobacco products due to price increases. The excise tax threshold currently proposed by the WHO is 70 percent as a share of the retail price. Therefore, taxes should at least be increased to the extent that they have a significant impact on reducing cigarette consumption in Pakistan.