Islamabad: Tobacco use kills an estimated 164,000 people every year in Pakistan and inflicts economic losses of more than Rs1.8 trillion (US$6.6 billion) annually, nearly seven times higher than the tobacco industry’s total tax contribution of around Rs265 billion (about US$950 million) to the national economy, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned ahead of World No Tobacco Day.
The WHO said the devastating health and economic burden of tobacco in Pakistan far outweighs any revenue generated through cigarette taxes, while children and adolescents remain increasingly vulnerable to aggressive marketing and addiction tactics employed by tobacco and nicotine companies.
Marking World No Tobacco Day on May 31, WHO launched its 2026 global campaign under the theme “Unmasking the Appeal – Countering Nicotine and Tobacco Addiction”, exposing how tobacco and nicotine industries continue to redesign and repackage their products to attract new generations of users, particularly children and young people.
According to WHO, tobacco related economic losses in Pakistan exceed Rs1.8 trillion, equivalent to around US$6.6 billion every year, while tobacco taxes contributed only around Rs265 billion, or roughly US$950 million, in 2025. The agency noted that the economic damage caused by tobacco is therefore nearly seven times greater than the industry’s contribution to government revenues.
“Tobacco is a killer. Tobacco is killing our loved ones and our families. It also has a devastating impact on public health and on our economies,” WHO Representative in Pakistan Dr Dapeng Luo said.
“Tobacco kills up to half of its users who do not quit. Make no mistake, all tobacco products on the market, licit and illicit, without exception, are extremely toxic and dangerous,” he added.
The WHO maintained that all tobacco and nicotine products, including cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches and other nicotine delivery products, pose serious health risks and can lead to addiction, disease and premature death.
Health experts say tobacco remains one of the leading preventable causes of death in Pakistan, contributing to cardiovascular diseases, strokes, chronic lung diseases and multiple forms of cancer, placing a heavy burden on families and the country’s healthcare system.
The WHO acknowledged Pakistan’s efforts in tobacco control since ratifying the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in 2004 and said it continues to provide technical support to the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination and the Federal Board of Revenue on tobacco taxation policies and implementation of track and trace systems.
However, the agency noted that Federal Excise Duty on cigarettes has not been increased since February 2023, effectively making tobacco products more affordable despite inflation and rising incomes. It further pointed out that tobacco taxation levels in Pakistan remain below WHO’s recommended benchmark of 75 percent of the retail price.
The organization emphasized that increasing tobacco taxes is one of the most effective public health interventions, capable of reducing tobacco consumption, preventing young people from starting smoking, generating additional government revenue and lowering healthcare expenditures linked to tobacco related diseases.
WHO also highlighted growing concerns over nicotine addiction among children and adolescents globally. New estimates indicate that at least 40 million children aged 13 to 15 years currently use tobacco products worldwide. Of these, around 20 million smoke cigarettes while another 10 million use smokeless tobacco products.
In addition, at least 15 million adolescents aged 13 to 15 years are already using e-cigarettes. WHO said that in countries where data are available, children are on average nine times more likely than adults to vape.
The agency warned that nicotine is highly addictive and particularly harmful to children, adolescents and young adults because their brains are still developing. Early nicotine exposure can impair attention, learning, mood regulation and impulse control while increasing the likelihood of lifelong addiction.
WHO also expressed concern over the rapid growth of nicotine pouches, which are increasingly marketed through social media influencers, colourful packaging, youth-oriented branding and candy-like flavours designed to attract younger consumers.
According to WHO, nearly 160 countries still lack specific regulations governing nicotine pouches despite rapidly increasing global sales, leaving millions of young people vulnerable to addiction.
Globally, tobacco use kills more than seven million people every year, including approximately 1.6 million non-smokers who die from exposure to second hand smoke. Tobacco remains one of the leading causes of preventable death worldwide and is linked to cardiovascular disease, respiratory illnesses and more than 20 different types of cancer.
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