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ISLAMABAD, Nov 14 (APP):The Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) on Friday urged the government to implement urgent and comprehensive tobacco control reforms, warning that weak enforcement, fragmented regulation and outdated fiscal policies are allowing, Pakistan’s tobacco epidemic to worsen, costing country billions of rupees and thousands of lives each year.
In its latest Knowledge Brief titled Tobacco in Transition: Global Practices, Regional Insights, and Pakistan’s Policy Imperative, PIDE revealed that tobacco use claims 164,000 lives annually and inflicts economic losses of nearly Rs 700 billion – equivalent to 1 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
These losses, it noted, have increased by 31 percent over the past decade, highlighting how inadequate policy implementation continues to strain public health systems and slow economic progress.
Despite Pakistan’s extensive tobacco control legislation, including commitments under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and the National Tobacco Control Strategy (2022–2030), enforcement remains inconsistent across provinces.
This has enabled cheaper cigarette brands to remain widely available, smokeless tobacco products to flourish without oversight and illicit trade to capture almost one-third of the national cigarette market.
Mehwish Mumtaz, Assistant Chief (Policy) at PIDE and author of the brief, said Pakistan’s problem was not a lack of legislation but a lack of consistent implementation.
She said simplifying the excise tax structure, establishing stronger regulatory coordination, regulating smokeless tobacco and expanding nationwide quitting support could significantly reduce tobacco-related deaths while boosting state revenues.
“The reforms are essential both for saving lives and restoring fiscal stability,” she said.
Drawing on global evidence, the brief highlighted countries that successfully reduced tobacco consumption through sustained policy action. Sierra Leone passed a comprehensive Tobacco and Nicotine Control Act following an economic investment case; Uzbekistan has strengthened tobacco regulations for nearly three decades; and the United Kingdom and Sweden have reduced adult smoking rates to historic lows through strictly regulated alternatives and harm-reduction approaches.
In South Asia, however, Pakistan shares implementation weaknesses with India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal – countries that also struggle to translate strong laws into tangible health outcomes.
The brief identified several critical gaps in Pakistan’s current system. The multi-tier excise regime continues to make cigarettes affordable for the youth, while uneven provincial enforcement undermines national progress. Smokeless tobacco products such as naswar and gutka remain largely unregulated, and cessation support services – including national helplines, counselling and nicotine replacement therapies — are extremely limited.
The brief added that while alternative products such as e-cigarettes are increasingly debated, any harm-reduction strategy must follow scientific evidence and be strictly regulated, particularly to protect young people.
PIDE recommended replacing the multi-tiered excise structure with a single, high specific tax — a measure internationally recognised for reducing consumption and increasing revenue. It also calls for improved national coordination, full digital integration of track-and-trace systems to tackle illicit trade and the inclusion of smokeless and novel products in mainstream regulation and taxation frameworks. Expanding quit-support services remains a key priority, especially for vulnerable populations lacking access to cessation tools.
The brief concluded with a strong warning that Pakistan’s tobacco burden would continue to escalate unless the country shifts from policy intent to implementation. Strengthened governance, updated taxation systems, coordinated enforcement and science-based regulation, it stressed, could dramatically reduce premature deaths and ease the long-term financial burden on families and the national exchequer.
“Every year of delay,” the brief warned, “costs Pakistan lives, productivity and billions in economic losses.”