SPARC Urges Stronger Tobacco Laws to Shield Children From Nicotine
The Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child has called for significantly stronger tobacco control measures in Pakistan, with a particular emphasis on protecting children and adolescents from nicotine addiction. The appeal, timed to coincide with World No-Tobacco Day, highlights growing concern over the inadequacy of existing regulatory frameworks in shielding minors.
SPARC's advocacy focuses on multiple fronts including stricter enforcement of bans on tobacco sales to minors, tighter regulation of e-cigarettes and flavoured nicotine products that are increasingly marketed toward younger consumers, and a comprehensive clampdown on tobacco advertising near schools and residential areas.
Pakistan's tobacco industry remains large and economically significant, employing hundreds of thousands of people across cultivation, manufacturing, and distribution. This creates institutional resistance to aggressive regulatory tightening, even as public health data consistently document tobacco as a leading cause of preventable mortality in the country.
Health advocates note that the proliferation of alternative nicotine delivery systems including vapes and snus poses a newer and less regulated threat to young Pakistanis. SPARC and allied organisations are urging the Federal Ministry of Health to introduce comprehensive regulations covering all nicotine products under a unified framework with meaningful penalties for violations.
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