{"id":1263,"date":"2026-04-02T20:12:06","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T15:12:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/perspective\/?p=1263"},"modified":"2026-04-02T20:12:06","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T15:12:06","slug":"who-is-helping-adult-smokers-quit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/perspective\/who-is-helping-adult-smokers-quit\/","title":{"rendered":"Who is Helping Adult Smokers Quit?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The adult smokers<\/a> in Pakistan need a helping hand, especially those who have been unable to quit smoking despite multiple attempts. Every year, one-fourth of the smokers in Pakistan make an attempt to quit smoking, but less than three percent successfully give up this habit.<\/p>\n

According to the WHO cessation index, Pakistan offers nicotine replacement therapy and\/or some cessation services with at least one cost covered. However, the primary tobacco law in Pakistan \u2013 the Prohibition of Smoking in Enclosed Places and Protection of Non-smokers Health Ordinance, 2002 \u2013 does not talk about smoking cessation.<\/p>\n

Strangely, in a country with more than 31 million tobacco users, which includes 17 million smokers, cessation services are conspicuous by their absence. More strangely, tobacco control initiatives in Pakistan have almost ignored the availability of cessation services.<\/p>\n

Pakistan ranks among the 15 countries with the highest tobacco consumption. Alarmingly, nearly 40% of adults and 55% of children are routinely exposed to secondhand smoke. The toll on health is immense: smoking is a leading contributor to cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and respiratory illnesses such as COPD and tuberculosis. According to the WHO, tobacco causes over 8 million deaths globally each year, including 1.2 million from secondhand smoke. Within Pakistan, the annual smoking-related death rate stands at 91.1 per 100,000 people\u2014higher than both the South Asian and global averages.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, the rest of the world realizes the importance of access to effective cessation services. According to the US National Cancer Institute, \u201cSmoking cessation lowers the risk of cancer and other serious health problems. Counseling, behavior therapy, medicines, and nicotine-containing products, such as nicotine patches, gum, lozenges, inhalers, and nasal sprays, may be used to help a person quit smoking.\u201d<\/p>\n

Every smoker, at some point in life, wants to quit smoking. When that happens, a smoker should have knowledge and access to smoking cessation programs at the local level. There is a lack of structured quit programs, counseling services, and accessible nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs). Public hospitals rarely offer dedicated smoking cessation programs, and private healthcare options are often expensive. Additionally, low awareness of cessation methods and limited government funding exacerbate the issue. The absence of evidence-based quit-lines and professional counseling further reduces quit success rates.<\/p>\n

There is a need to establish accessible quit-smoking programs at the federal, provincial and local levels, which should be backed by counselling and nicotine replacement therapies for those struggling to quit. In this regard, the role of healthcare providers is critical. Unfortunately, up till now, they have not been part of the efforts to help adult smokers quit smoking.<\/p>\n

The role of health professionals, mainly doctors, is critical in helping adult smokers quit. However, doctors seem to be aloof from the initiatives on decreasing the burden of tobacco use and seldom actively engage in supporting smokers to quit the habit. It is essential that doctors are sensitized to tobacco harm reduction and made part of the efforts to highlight this concept and how it can assist in reducing smoking prevalence.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The adult smokers in Pakistan need a helping hand, especially those who have been unable to quit smoking despite multiple […]<\/p>\n

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