Make cessation services accessible

Dear Editor,

President Asif Ali Zardari has appropriately pointed out the need for effective legislation regarding tobacco control in his message on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day. The only major legislation on tobacco in Pakistan is the Prohibition of Smoking in Enclosed Places and Protection of Non-Smokers Health Ordinance 2002. Both the world and Pakistan have moved beyond the strategy of disrupting the access to cigarettes to discourage smoking. Additionally, after the 18th amendment health has been devolved to the provinces, and therefore the responsibility for tobacco control squarely rests on the provincial governments. Unfortunately, the provincial governments seem least bothered about this aspect of the public health. Any effective new legislation on tobacco control needs to exclusively focus on the provision of effective and affordable smoking cessation services in order to help the adult smokers to quit. This one initiative will help more than 17 million cigarette smokers make the all-important decision to quit smoking. Currently, smokers in Pakistan have no recourse when they decide to quit smoking. They are on their own, with no medical help available. If Pakistan can effectively support adult smokers in quitting and keep the young away from every kind of tobacco use, our country can become smoke-free over the next one decade.