Islamabad: Rising tobacco and nicotine use among Pakistan’s youth, especially around educational institutions, emerged as the central concern at a national review session on tobacco control held by the Aurat Foundation in Islamabad.
Participants from Parliament, government departments, health organizations, and civil society warned that easy availability of cigarettes, vapes, nicotine pouches, and flavored tobacco near schools is creating a growing public health threat. The discussion also pointed to a noticeable increase in tobacco use among women, indicating a shifting trend.
The session called for stronger legislation, faster policy action, and strict enforcement to counter the rapid spread of emerging nicotine products. Speakers emphasized that existing laws remain poorly implemented due to procedural delays, weak monitoring, and limited coordination between federal and provincial bodies.
The need for clear parental awareness, community engagement, and better recognition of new nicotine products was highlighted as an essential part of early prevention. Officials noted that families and schools often remain unaware of modern products marketed to young people.
Technical briefings identified major enforcement gaps and policy loopholes that allow the tobacco industry to expand its reach. Participants noted that companies are increasingly using social media trends, entertainment content, and youth-focused marketing to promote vaping in urban areas.
Government representatives reaffirmed ongoing federal efforts to implement the Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non-Smokers Health Ordinance 2002 and to tighten regulations where required. Provincial representatives also announced plans to introduce new resolutions to strengthen tobacco control.
Education sector officials raised alarms over the rise of nicotine products around private institutions and called for tougher regulatory checks. Regulatory authorities stressed the need for a broader social movement to counter tobacco use nationwide.
Closing the event, the Aurat Foundation reiterated its commitment to evidence-based advocacy, cross-sector collaboration, and long-term public awareness initiatives aimed at building a healthier, tobacco-free society.ISLAMABAD: The World Bank has asked Pakistan to put the house in order and work on wide-ranging reforms to achieve better economic development and prosperity for its population.
The WB also asked the world leaders to come forward to compensate climate-affected countries through carbon pricing to deter emissions.
The WB Vice President for South Asia Martin Raiser in an exclusive talk with Pakistani media house blamed limited and lack of long-standing reforms in the energy, water and revenue sectors for many of the challenges Pakistan faces now and called for protecting the sanctity of the contracts in dealing with investments, particularly in the energy sector.
He said Pakistan had made some initial decisions that went in the right direction, but a lot more good decisions are needed, and implementations should be made on these decisions.
He said the World Bank did not have a Country Partnership Framework (CPF) with Pakistan after 2015, a period that saw the Covid-19 pandemic and then floods. Therefore, the bank has now considered a longer 10-year engagement as some challenges were enormous and could not have been addressed in three to four years.
Raiser revealed that “in order to deal with the issue of climate change, we do need pricing instrument that disincentivises the emissions of carbon” so that it can generate resources to invest in resilience. However, he said the climate justice and transfer from historic emitters to those affected was very complicated in global negotiations due to politics, although the moral case for compensation was very strong.
He said as the World Bank was hosting a loss and damage fund as an outcome of COP28, a lot more funding was required so that at least 50pc of such investments in climate go into adaptation to help countries that did not contribute to climate crisis but regularly get affected and need to be helped in preparing for the consequences.
He said the World Bank decided to be selective and more outcome-oriented and ensure stronger processes through a combination of World Bank Group instruments and financing models to ensure both sides remain focused on tangible targets.
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