WEBDESK: Smoking is injurious to health, smokers die younger, smoking kills; these warnings are pasted on cigarette packets as well as advertisements but paying no heed Pakistanis blew billions of rupees in smoke last year.
According to a report by the State Bank of Pakistan, during the fiscal year 2013/2014 smokers spent 250 billion rupees on purchasing almost 64.5 billion cigarettes in the country.
The report states, that the cheapest cigarette available in Pakistan is priced at Rs. 2.50 while the most expensive costs twice that. The report adds that the cost has been calculated by the amount of tax surcharge collected on branded cigarettes and does not include the amount spent on smuggled illegal cigarettes.
According to earlier reports Pakistan loses out on average Rs. 20 billion in taxes due to smuggled cigarettes. While Pakistan has laws prohibiting sale of smuggled cigarettes and fines that could go as high as 500% of the unpaid duty, these laws are seldom enforced.
As easy as buying CandyPakistan passed the “Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non-smokers Health Ordinance 2002” over a decade ago, which prohibits sale of tobacco products to anyone under the age of 18, as well smoking in public places. Fines have been listed ranging from Rs. 100 to Rs. 1000 going as high as Rs. 100,000 with imprisonment for up to three months for repeat offenders.
The lack of enforcement is evident, as vendors sell cigarettes to children as young as 9 and 10, without hesitation. It is the same reason why Pakistanis continue to blow billions away in smoke along with their health.