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Quick Facts of Tobacco Use and Prevalence:
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9 % females smoke
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40 % males smoke
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Around 100,000 deaths occur from tobacco use annually in Pakistan and over half of the adult population is
addicted to it in some form or the other.
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Tobacco cultivated area is 0.27% of total irrigated land of Pakistan
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Annual consumption of cigarettes per sticks is 78 billion in the country
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The legitimate sector supplies around 63 billion cigarette sticks to the market
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The other 15 billion cigarette sticks are smuggled or marketed by the counterfeited or non duty paid
manufacturers. This losses worth rupees 7.4 billion to national exchequer.
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On 63 billion sticks marketed by the local cigarette industry, it contributed around Rs 37.2 billion in
the shape of taxes and duties to the government exchequer during 2007-08. While the two major companies alone
paid Rs 37 billion in taxes and duties on the 17 brands of cigarette being marketed by them, all the other
cigarette companies paid only Rs 200 million on more than 110 brands of cigarettes being produced and marketed by
them.
TheNetwork Background in Tobacco Control:
TheNetwork for Consumer Protection has a long history of association with global movements for the control of
smoking. From 2000 – 2007 the organization worked for protection and promotion of consumer rights under the
Tobacco Free Initiative Pakistan (TFI-Pak) of WHO. The prime objectives of TFI-Pak were to make aware and educate
the people of Pakistan about the hazards of tobacco, to strive against promotional tactics adopted by the tobacco
industry, and to advocate for the effective control of the government on promotion and sale of tobacco. After
TFI-Pak, The Network continued its antismoking campaign under its consumer rights promotion project with DFID.
It advocated for the effective implementation of existing anti-tobacco laws and incorporation of FCTC provisions
in existing laws, represented Civil Society in Statutory Committees, engaged with government in its various
initiatives, and monitored promotional activities of the tobacco industry.
TheNetwork is a member of two committees and a Technical Advisory Group established by Ministry of Health
For further inquiries:
Ms. Mehnaz Ajmal Paracha
National Advocacy and Research Coordinator
+92-51-2261085,
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Sample pictorial warnings
on 50% of cigarette packs
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