23.9m adult Pakistanis use tobacco

Islamabad - Males between 15-49 years were more likely to use tobacco as compared to females in Pakistan

 Around 23.9 million adults use tobacco in any form in Pakistan, out of which 6 per cent are women.
According to data, 15.6 million people smoke tobacco out of whom 22.2 per cent are males and 2.1 per cent females.
Males between 15-49 years were more likely to use tobacco as compared to females in Pakistan.
Tobacco use was the world's leading cause of preventable death. According to health experts, tobacco kills 6 million people around the world every year out of which 80 per cent deaths occur in middle and low income countries.
They said compared to branded cigarettes, plain packaging was less attractive to young people.
Health experts also refuted the impression that some brands were safer as compared to others and were likely to reduce smoking habit among children and young people.
A recent report said that 45 per cent males used tobacco in any form, while 28 per cent of them used cigarettes.
Smoking causes cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung diseases, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Daily 1,200 children started smoking.
The report called for immediate implementation of Article 13 that comprehensively bans tobacco advertisement, promotion and sponsorship and Article 11 of Framework Convention on Tobacco Control which calls for plain packaging of cigarette packets .

• Pakistan