Health experts on Sunday stressed the need for educating society about the negative effects of tobacco use as E-cigarettes and Nicotine pouches has a new rising trend among youngsters which was becoming health catastrophe.
A Liver specialist Dr Murtaza Kazmi while talking to a state news channel, urged the media celebrities to discourage these advertisements and raise awareness on harms of nicotine, E-cigarettes, smoking, and adverse impacts of tobacco products on youngsters’ mental health. Media platforms are the main key to support civil society awareness campaigns which would discourage the sales, promotion and advertisement of the emerging products to safe precious youth’s lives, he told.
He lamented that tobacco industry has been using innovative tactics for youngsters to sell its products everywhere, adding, authorities concerned should impose an immediate ban on the new sale trends of nicotine pouches and protect the youth from the lung cancer.
Another educationist from Quaid-e-Azam University Dr Marryum Anees said that nicotine pouches were now making their way into country, adding, E-cigarettes come in various designs ranging from cigarettes to pens and larger products like tank systems and personal vaporizers. E-cigarettes are attracting new generation in universities and cafes where youth are openly using these harmful products, she said, adding, the use of nicotine pouches is spreading even among younger children in primary schools, who are especially at risk of overdosing or developing an addiction. She demanded that nicotine pouches, which are available in shops without any restrictions should be banned.
