Policy makers urge the government to impose a 30% tax on tobacco-related products

What happened: On March 13, the Society for Protection of Rights of the Child has urged the government to increase tobacco taxes by 30 percent in a bid to discourage youth. The Nation also quotes the head of Tobacco-Free Kids, Malik Imran Ahmad, as,  “Smoking is a silent killer in our society, with a total of 29 million active smokers.”  Details: At the same time, Malik Imran Ahmad highlighted that 170,000 Pakistanis die each year due to tobacco-related diseases, and it causes a health burden of 615 billion rupees. Subsequently, the head is quoted by the publication,  “Higher taxes on tobacco are essentials to mitigate this burden. Increasing taxes on tobacco is the most effective policy to reduce consumption and generate additional funds for the government.”  More:   Whereas, the other dignitaries of SPRC said that the media needs to play its role and highlight the violations of tobacco control policies. However, reports suggest that the imposition of taxes on tobacco-related products may hinder the youth from buying the products.