A recent survey reveals that Pakistan has a higher annual death rate due to tobacco use in 2024, surpassing both the South Asian and global averages, highlighting a major public health challenge posed by smoking. According to the Gallup survey titled “Global Burden of Disease 2024,” the annual death rate due to tobacco use in Pakistan is 91.1 per 100,000 people, higher than the South Asian average of 78.1 and the global average of 72.6.
The report, referencing the World Health Organization, states that “the most popular cigarette brand in Pakistan requires 3.7% of per capita GDP to purchase 100 packs, which is significantly lower than India’s 9.8% and Bangladesh’s 4.2%.” The affordability of cigarettes in the country has led to a 38% increase in income required to purchase 100 packs of cigarettes between 2012 and 2022 due to rising prices.
Moreover, Gallup Pakistan’s 2022 polls revealed that at least 80% of smokers expressed a desire to quit smoking. In November, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Department urged to swiftly implement a ban on tobacco use and the health bill for non-smokers in the province. Despite a review of this bill in 2016, it has yet to be passed by the Department of Law.
