Promotions and Profits

The International Diabetes Federation Diabetes Atlas (9th Edition) reports that the prevalence of diabetes in Pakistan has reached 17.1%, which is 148% higher than previously reported. In 2019, over 19 million adults in Pakistan were estimated to be living with diabetes – putting them at risk of life-threatening complications. Indeed, sports people need to be compensated and organizing of sports events need to be funded and lavishly. Despite the Rs. 1 million Qaumi Sehat Card, should people afford to suffer from this awful disease all in the name of health entertainment?

The tobacco industry in Pakistan is a major employment provider in farming, manufacturing, distribution and retail . Tobacco is grown on 0.25% of irrigated land in Pakistan. As of 2016, 34,000 hectares were under cultivation which fell from 43,000 hectares a few years ago. As per the statistics revealed by the Tobacco-Free Kids campaign, about 19.1% of adults (age 15+) currently use tobacco in any form (men 31.8%; women 5.8%); 12.4% of adults smoke tobacco. Among youth (ages 13-15), it is noted that 10.7% use any tobacco product (boys 13.3%; girls 6.6%); among youth who have ever smoked, nearly 40% first tried a cigarette before age 10. Noting that there is no safe level of secondhand smoke, it finds that 72.5% of adults (16.8 million people) who work indoors are exposed to tobacco smoke at the workplace. And 86% of adults who visited restaurants in 2014 (49.2 million people) were exposed to secondhand smoke. 76.2% adults who used public transport were exposed to secondhand smoke. 37.8% youth (ages 13-15) are exposed to secondhand smoke in public places, while 21% youth are exposed to secondhand smoke in their homes.

Tobacco kills over 163,600 people each year in Pakistan while almost 31,000 of these deaths are due to exposure to secondhand smoke, according to the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2019. The economic cost of smoking in Pakistan is Rs 615.07 billion, equal to 1.6% of the nation’s GDP. In 2019, the economic cost of smoking was about five times greater than the revenue from the tobacco industry, as per the research titled ‘The Economic Cost of Tobacco-Induced Diseases in Pakistan’. Euromonitor International (2018) informs that international companies hold almost all of the cigarette market in Pakistan. In 2017, British American Tobacco led with 65.6% of the retail volume market share, and Philip Morris International followed with 30%. In Pakistan, 52 billion cigarettes were sold in 2017. Consider the profits they repatriate, when the country is always facing a foreign exchange dearth. A 2012 study carried out by Researchers Sara Saeed, et al revealed that that almost 63,415 males and 85,590 females were diagnosed with the disease.

Another study carried out by Franca-Botelho, et al, found that approximately 40,000 females succumb to breast cancer every year in Pakistan. This study found the most common factor responsible for cancer reported by patients included gutka consumption (71%), betel nut (70%) and smoking (68.4%). Thankfully, tobacco companies are no longer sponsoring sporting events, nor featuring athletes.

Pakistan has banned the promotion of cigarettes across the country. Posters or banners that promote smoking cigarettes were also banned. Ironically, an increase in taxes has benefitted the illegal cigarette brands as they have captured a 40% market share. The order approved on Jan. 30, 2020, banned online advertising of tobacco products, as well as point of sale advertising and display of tobacco products. This regulation completed and expanded on the previous Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non-smokers Health Ordinance from 2002, which included a ban on advertising of tobacco products in print and electronic media. With this ban, the tobacco industry now isn’t even able to sponsor events which was another way for them to advertise and reach the masses. According to Global Adult Tobacco Survey Pakistan (2014), almost one in five adults in the country used tobacco in some form, which translates into 25 million adults currently. Consequently, prevalence of tobacco-related diseases is also high and various estimates indicate that tobacco use is associated with more than 100,000 deaths every year in the country. Pakistan Economic Survey 2017-18 estimated the total expenditure of Rs. 150 billion on cigarettes.

Tobacco’s share in total industrial output is 1.1%. The share of cigarette industry in the industrial employment is less than a half per cent only (0.3%). The industry, instead of earning foreign exchange by capitalizing agriculture production, causes a drain on foreign exchange as a net importer, says a Policy Brief prepared by the Social Policy and Development Centre. The WHO has called upon Pakistan to increase tobacco taxation (currently at 45.79%) to 70%. Pakistan has a complex three tier tax system, which indirectly boosts cigarette production and consumption, against the spirit of Pakistan’s WHO-FCTC commitments. Currently, Pakistan is facing annual revenue losses of Rs.30 billion due to low taxes on the tobacco industry, while the health of the nation’s youth is at stake, says another research study. One can hope that once the country’s industrial base builds up, other industries and services can step up to become sponsors, like the national team wearing the PIA jersey. However, sports organizers need to search and reach out. In fact, why not take a loss for the nation’s health?