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: Bulls have taken control of the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) as their roars are being heard every where and bullish trend on the opening hours on Thursday have jumped the benchmark KSE-100 index was hovering at 120,617.78 points after an increase of 686.33 points.
Across-the-board buying was observed in key sectors including automobile assemblers, commercial banks, oil and gas exploration companies, OMCs, power generation and technology.
Besides, index-heavy stocks including HUBCO, MARI, POL, PSO, MCB, MEBL and NBP traded in the green.
It must be remembered that the PSX staged a good recovery on Wednesday driven by confident investors who remained optimist with the upcoming budget, expecting relief for the industrial sector.
The benchmark KSE-100 Index was closed at 119,931.5 points after gaining 960 points.
It must be remembered that the PSX faced ups and downs during early trading on Tuesday.
The KSE-100 index began on a positive note but later dipped a bit to 119,106 after losing 500 points.
At the end of the day, the index closed at 118,971 after losing 718 points. The decline is attributed to investors’ cautious approach ahead of the budget.
Meanwhile, the overall situation improved in the past few days.
During early hours of trading on Monday, the KSE-100 index gained 600 points and reached 120,285.
The PSX staged a comeback after recent geopolitical tensions, which rattled the business activity. As the dust settled after the ceasefire and other positive economic indicators surfaced, investors regained confidence.
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