ISLAMABAD
\nIn a concerted effort to combat the alarming rise in tobacco consumption across Pakistan, the Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC), alongside the Youth Advocates Against Tobacco (YAAT) clubs, held a significant event to commemorate World No Tobacco Day 2025.
\nThe event spotlighted the urgent need to protect young people from the harmful effects of tobacco and called for a critical increase in tobacco taxation to reduce smoking initiation among youth.
\nThe event served as a dynamic platform for youth voices, amplified through speeches, films, paintings, skits, rap songs, and podcasts\u2014all denouncing the tobacco industry\u2019s manipulative strategies targeting Pakistan\u2019s young population.
\nThese creative outputs conveyed a powerful message: tobacco consumption is the single greatest threat facing the nation\u2019s youth today.
\n\u201cBy channeling our voices and creativity, we are making the silent voices of tobacco\u2019s victims heard loud and clear,\u201d said a YAAT club representative.
\n\u201cOur performances reflect the real stories behind the statistics and call for immediate action to safeguard our generation.\u201d Dr. Khalil Ahmad Dogar, Program Manager at SPARC, emphasized the staggering health and financial toll of tobacco, stating, \u201cTobacco causes over 160,000 deaths annually and drains our healthcare system. Increasing taxes is a life-saving measure\u2014especially for youth.\u201d
\nHe proposed a hike of Rs. 39 per cigarette packet in the Federal Excise Duty (FED) for FY 2025\u201326. Supporting this recommendation, recent data show that FED revenue growth in FY 2024\u201325 was just 4%, significantly below the 26% inflation rate over the same period. Despite a 22% increase in overall cigarette production, revenue gains were stunted due to a shift toward lower-taxed economy brands\u2014now making up 95% of production, up from 87% the previous year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD In a concerted effort to combat the alarming rise in tobacco consumption across Pakistan, the Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC), alongside the Youth Advocates Against Tobacco (YAAT) clubs, held a significant event to commemorate World No Tobacco Day 2025. The event spotlighted the urgent need to protect young […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":482287,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-482275","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-national"],"yoast_head":"\n