Provinces must act on tobacco control

Dear Editor,

After the passage of the 18th constitutional amendment, health along with other subjects has been passed onto under provinces’ control. Unfortunately, 16 years on, the provincial governments seem least bothered by smoking endemic. Though we do not see cigarette ads on print, electronic, and social media, smoking remains a major public health issue in Pakistan. The provincial governments have to come up with appropriate legislation on tobacco control. Without this, the efforts for tobacco control will remain scratchy and purposeless. Currently, the focus is on clamping down on illicit cigarettes. However, the focus should be on providing adult smokers effective and affordable cessation options and making every effort to keep the young away from smoking.