ISLAMABAD, SEP 15 /DNA/ – Pakistan needs to prioritise science-based regulation of smoke-free alternatives as part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce smoking-related harm, senior Philip Morris International officials said at a media briefing in Islamabad, citing stagnant quit rates, smoking as the leading cause of cancer in Pakistan, and nearly 164,000 tobacco-related deaths recorded in the country every year.
According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey 2024, only 24.1 per cent of smokers made a quit attempt in the past 12 months, virtually unchanged from 24.7 per cent in 2014. Around 22.7 million people currently use tobacco in Pakistan, with approximately 14 million adults smoking tobacco.
Alexey Kim, Senior Director Corporate Affairs and International Campaigns at PMI, said “the central public health question is not whether smoking is harmful. It clearly is. The real question is how Pakistan can accelerate the decline in smoking while ensuring strong youth protections and effective regulatory oversight. Public policy is most effective when supported by evidence and measurable outcomes. Regulators around the world increasingly recognise that not all nicotine products present the same level of risk. Cigarettes remain the most harmful because they involve combustion, and this understanding has led many countries to adopt risk-proportionate regulations,” he said.
Kim added that any nicotine product available to adult consumers must be subject to robust quality standards and regulatory oversight to prevent the growth of unregulated markets. He stressed that enforcement is equally critical. “The effectiveness of any regulatory framework depends on implementation — retail compliance, supply-chain accountability, product surveillance, and age-verification enforcement. A policy is only as effective as its implementation. Youth should not use any tobacco or nicotine products,” he said.
Tomoko Lida, Senior Director Scientific Engagement for South Asia, India, CIS and MEA at PMI, said that nicotine and cigarette smoke are not the same thing. An overwhelming majority of smoking-related diseases are linked to the toxic chemicals produced when tobacco burns. When combustion is removed, the chemistry changes fundamentally. For adults who continue smoking despite knowing the risks, smoke-free alternatives may provide another pathway away from cigarettes,” she said.
Both speakers pointed to international evidence. Japan recorded a 45 per cent decline in adult smoking prevalence between 2014 and 2023 following the adoption of heated tobacco products. Sweden has achieved daily smoking rates of around 5 per cent, among the lowest in Europe. Furthermore, US FDA authorised a modified-risk claim for ZYN nicotine pouch products after extensive scientific review in 2026.
“The ultimate goal remains fewer people smoking and fewer lives lost. People who do not smoke should not start. People who smoke should quit. But for adults who would otherwise continue smoking, access to regulated smoke-free alternatives deserves serious consideration,” Lida concluded.
