Like most of the world, Pakistan is also currently faced with the worrying challenge of cigarette smoking. Many countries have taken innovative actions to curb the use of cigarettes by introducing regulatory measures that encourage smokers to make better choices, like the introduction of technologically-improved alternatives to smoking.
Today, a wide variety of products are available in the market for adults to choose from, like nicotine pouches, E-Cigarettes, vapes, and heated tobacco products. Designed as a stepping stone towards a future without cigarettes, these innovative products offer enormous potential when it comes to guiding cigarette consumers towards making better, healthier choices. Modern science and research are already providing valuable evidence of the effectiveness of smoking alternatives. Observations in some Asian countries, where smoke-free products have been introduced, also lend support to this. These alternatives, coupled with the right regulatory measures, hold the potential to significantly reduce the nation’s 24 million adult smokers. With the recent regulatory developments in Pakistan, there is a significant opportunity to follow in the footsteps of other countries’ success and put an end to cigarettes altogether.
As the single greatest preventable cause of death in the world today, smoking claims seven million lives every year. However, thanks to scientific advancement, it is now possible to choose a less harmful path that is designed to lead to a completely smoke-free life. Now is the time to accept change and bid farewell to cigarettes, once and for all.
