ARI Newsletter December 2024 (February 07, 2025)

The Alternative Research Initiative (ARI) and its partner organizations have conducted awareness sessions on ending smoking in 12 districts, six each in Punjab and Sindh, aiming to engage local communities and students in efforts to save youth from smoking, help adults quit, and achieve a smoke-free Pakistan.

ARI Newsletter November 2024 (December 31, 2024)

Sweden has made anti-smoking history by becoming the first country in the world to be officially declared 'smoke free,' new government figures reveal. The data, released by Sweden's public health agency, shows that just 4.5 per cent of Swedish-born adults now smoke - well under the globally recognized benchmark of five per cent to achieve smoke free status.

ARI Newsletter October 2024 (November 2024)

Afnan, 29, a businessman, started smoking back in 2010 when he was 14. He soon became hooked and started consuming 20 cigarettes a day, leading to severe health issues, including sinus, chest infection, tiredness, and headache. In February 2024, he switched to vaping to overcome his health problems, and it worked. He successfully quit smoking after making the switch but added that vaping also led to health problems. "Vaping helped me quit smoking, but now, my stomach remains upset," Afnan shared his quit-smoking experience with the Alternative Research Initiative (ARI) in Blue Area, Islamabad.

ARI Newsletter September 2024 (October 28, 2028)

ISLAMABAD: The Alternative Research Initiative (ARI) has called for a significant scale-up in efforts to provide effective and affordable smoking essation services across Pakistan, where an estimated 31 million people are tobacco users. "Smoking is a major public health issue in Pakistan, ontributing to a wide range of diseases, including cancer, heart disease, and respiratory conditions," said Arshad Ali Syed, Project Director of ARI.

ARI Newsletter August 2024 (October 02, 2024)

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination told the National Assembly that the Velo nicotine pouches are non-obacco products and do not fall under its regulatory mandate.

Health Ministry says Velo nicotine pouches non-tobacco products, not under its regulatory mandate (September 11, 2024)

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination told the National Assembly on September 5 that the Velo nicotine pouches are non-tobacco products and do not fall under its regulatory mandate.

ARI Newsletter July 2024 (August 19, 2024)

Qatar: A recent study by the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) has revealed that 63.5% of the visitors to smoking cessation clinics successfully quit the habit, local Arabic daily Arrayah reported. Significant differences in smoking cessation rates were noted based on the nationality and educational level of the participants, though.

ARI Newsletter June 2024 (August 06, 2024)

KARACHI: A study, co-authored by researchers from three countries, has discovered the presence of second-hand smoke in an alarming 95 per cent of children in Pakistan and Bangladesh, putting them at an increased risk of respiratory tract infections and, in cases of babies with hereditary disorders, death.

ARI Newsletter May 2024 (July 01, 2024)

The latest study done by Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) confirms consumption of tobacco has not declined in Pakistan. The study says tobacco industry has shifted from a legitimate industry to tax-evading cigarette manufacturers in a big way. The LUMS has estimated it is going to cause an annual loss of Rs300 billion to national exchequer during the ongoing financial year.

For health's sake (July 01, 2024)

Quitting smoking brings immediate relief for most smokers. This is a fact every smoker should know and understand. A dependence on tobacco can lead to severe diseases and prove fatal. It is important to remember that no matter how long one has smoked cigarettes, quitting has benefits.