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.KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) maintained its record-breaking rally on Thursday amid aggressive buying and wave of new fiscal year optimism.
During the intraday trading, the KSE-100 Index shattered more records, climbing above 131,000 points milestone. The benchmark recorded gains of 800 points to hit an intraday high of 131,325 points.
A day earlier, the PSX also shattered previous records, closing at an all-time high of 130,344.03 points.
Continuing its bullish momentum, the index surged by 2,144.61 points—an impressive gain of 1.67 per cent from the previous close of 128,199.43.
The latest milestone underscores growing optimism in the financial markets, as the PSX continues to attract both local and foreign interest amid signs of economic recovery.
A total of 1,026,117,776 shares were traded during the day as compared to 1,032,756,027 shares the previous trading day, whereas the price of shares stood at Rs 49.294 billion against Rs 44.008 billion on the last trading day.
As many as 473 companies transacted their shares in the stock market, 256 of them recorded gains and 192 sustained losses, whereas the share price of 25 companies remained unchanged.
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