Lifestyle

Pakistan Leads South Asia in Smoking-Related Deaths: Report

According to the report, the prevalence of tobacco use remains high, with around 25.4 million users aged 15 and older as of 2022.

Pakistan has been identified as having the highest annual smoking death toll in South Asia, with a reported death rate of 91.1 per 100,000 people, according to Gallup Pakistan’s analysis of the Global Burden of Disease 2024 report.

This figure surpasses the regional average of 78.1 and the global average of 72.6 deaths per 100,000 people due to smoking-related causes.

“Between 1990 and 2021, Pakistan experienced a 35 per cent relative decrease in smoking-related death rates, which is lower than the reductions achieved by India (37pc), South Asia (38pc), and the global average (42pc),” Gallup Pakistan said in a report published on Tuesday.

From 2012 to 2022, the economic burden of tobacco in Pakistan has intensified, particularly in terms of affordability. The share of GDP per capita required to purchase 100 packs of cigarettes has increased by 38%, indicating that smoking has become more financially burdensome for the average citizen.

Currently, smokers in Pakistan must spend approximately 3.7% of their GDP per capita to buy these packs.

The health implications are severe, with tobacco responsible for an estimated 163,600 deaths annually in Pakistan, accounting for about 10.9% of all deaths in the country.

Notably, smoking is linked to a range of serious health issues including lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

According to the report, the prevalence of tobacco use remains high, with around 25.4 million users aged 15 and older as of 2022.

Overall, the situation underscores a significant public health crisis in Pakistan, necessitating urgent action and policy interventions to mitigate tobacco use and its associated health risks.

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