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Government Seeks Help of Religious Scholars to Curb Smoking

September 25, 2008

The government needs support from all sectors of society, including religious scholars, to educate the public about the serious health hazards associated with tobacco use. Shaheen Masood, Deputy Director, Federal Ministry of Health made these remarks while addressing an audience of doctors and scholars at a seminar held at Aga Khan University (AKU). Ms Masood stressed the important role of religion in our society, and asked religious scholars to use their influence to spread awareness about the dangers of tobacco use. The seminar was organised by the University in collaboration with the Ministry, as part of a series of measures the government is taking to curtail tobacco use in Pakistan .

Tobacco use in the form of gutka and pan masala is also one of the major causes of oral cancers. According to Dr Shehzad Ghaffar, Head and Neck Surgeon, AKU, “ Gutka and pan masala are commonly consumed in Pakistan , resulting in a rise in cancers of the head, neck and mouth. Pakistan currently tops the list in the incidence of oral cancer.”

Engineer Naveed Ahmed, a religious scholar from the Quran Academy in Karachi , said that good health is a blessing from God, and people should take measures not to destroy it by using addictives like tobacco. “The Prophet (PBUH) is reported to have said, ‘Whosoever drinks poison, thereby killing himself, will sip this poison forever in the hell-fire.' Cigarettes contain poisonous substances, and smoking such poison is equivalent to committing suicide. Scientific research has clearly shown that each cigarette takes away 11 minutes from one's life.”

Dr Muhammad Irfan, Consultant Pulmonologist, AKU, said that many smokers are afraid of quitting because they think it is painful. “Nicotine withdrawal symptoms only last for a couple of weeks, and there is medication available to help with the process. With strong will power, quitting smoking is much easier now than it was before.” 

Dr Javaid Khan, Head of Section of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, AKU and a vocal anti-smoking activist, said “Lung cancer is the number one cause of cancer deaths in Pakistani males and over 90 per cent of such cases are caused directly by the use of tobacco. The treatment of this disabling condition is very difficult, and most patients eventually end up with lung failure.” Dr Khan added that patients should not rely only on chest X-rays to diagnose lung cancer as these may not reveal cancer until an advanced stage.

According to a report by WHO, tobacco is one of the most powerful addictive substances available in the world and tobacco users can die on average 15 to 20 years prematurely. According to the report, 5.4 million people died last year because of tobacco. This death toll is expected to rise to 10 million per year by the year 2025, unless preventive measures are taken.

For more information, contact Rida Turabi, Senior Media Executive, Department of Public Affairs, Aga Khan University, Stadium Road, Karachi, on +92 21 486 2931 or rida.turabi@aku.edu

Notes:

Aga Khan University
AKU was chartered in 1983 as Pakistan 's first private university. Its objective is to promote human welfare in general, and the welfare of the people of Pakistan in particular, by disseminating knowledge and providing instruction, training, research and service in the health sciences, education and such other branches of learning as the University may determine. AKU also has programmes in Kenya , Tanzania , Uganda , the United Kingdom , Afghanistan , Syria and Egypt .

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