The World Health Organization (WHO) has conferred the World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) 2026 Award upon Pakistan, recognizing its exceptional contributions to tobacco control. According to a statement from the WHO, the award was jointly presented to the Tobacco Control Cell of Pakistan's Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, and Dr. Waseem Iftikhar Janjua, Senior Researcher at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI). The WNTD Award is an annual honor given to individuals or organizations from each of the six WHO regions for outstanding tobacco control efforts.
The statement highlighted that Pakistan successfully reduced tobacco consumption by 15.7% between 2014 and 2024, thanks to measures implemented to meet its international obligations under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). This achievement is based on new findings from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) 2024, conducted by the Government of Pakistan in partnership with WHO and the CDC Foundation.
Current Tobacco Use and Impact
Despite progress, tobacco products are still consumed by 16.1% of Pakistan's population aged 15 and above. This leads to nearly 164,000 deaths annually and economic losses exceeding 1,800 billion Pakistani rupees (approximately US$6.6 billion). The GATS 2024 results were presented under the leadership of Health Minister Mustafa Kamal, as part of extended WNTD celebrations and the WHO campaign titled "Unmask the Appeal – Countering Tobacco and Nicotine Addiction."
Survey Methodology
The GATS 2024 followed a science-based global standard protocol to systematically monitor adult tobacco use, providing trends over the last decade and a comparison with the 2014 round. The survey was conducted by the National Institute of Population Studies Training and Research, in collaboration with the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (through its Tobacco Control Cell) and WHO. Over 11,000 interviews were completed with an overall response rate of 95.6%.
Decline in Secondhand Smoke Exposure
Encouraging findings from GATS 2024 show a significant decrease in exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke across all measured locations from 2014 to 2024: homes (48.3% to 28.8%), workplaces (69.1% to 35.9%), government buildings (64.6% to 40.7%), private buildings (77.3% to 54.8%), healthcare facilities (37.6% to 24.5%), restaurants (86.0% to 55.2%), marriage halls (65.7% to 50.3%), public transportation (76.2% to 45.4%), universities (44.2% to 33.3%), and schools (25.1% to 11.5%). Additionally, exposure to tobacco advertising or promotions in stores dropped from 20.4% to 17.8%, and exposure to any tobacco advertisements, promotions, or sponsorships fell from 38.6% to 30.5%.
However, female tobacco consumption increased slightly by 1.7%, with 5.9% of women aged 15 and above now using tobacco. There was also a marginal decrease in the percentage of smokers who attempted to quit in the past 12 months (from 24.7% to 24.1%) and those advised to quit by a healthcare provider (from 51.8% to 49.9%).
Key Tobacco Control Measures
Since 2014, under the WHO FCTC, Pakistan implemented several key policy changes to reduce tobacco consumption, including a 208% increase in tobacco taxation during fiscal year 2022–2023, larger pictorial health warnings on tobacco packaging, a nationwide ban on the sale of loose cigarettes, the National Tobacco Control Strategy 2022–2030, and the establishment of provincial Tobacco Control Cells and Implementation and Monitoring Committees.
Muhammad Aslam Ghauri, Secretary of the Ministry of National Health Regulations, Services and Coordination, stated at the event that this year's WNTD theme serves as a reminder of the evolving tactics used by the tobacco and nicotine industries to target young populations. He noted that electronic cigarettes, vaping devices, heated tobacco products, and digital advertising have transformed the tobacco epidemic into a more complex public health challenge, requiring urgent and coordinated policy action.
Ghauri emphasized that Pakistan still faces a significant burden from tobacco use, with approximately 22.7 million adults currently using tobacco products. Exposure to secondhand smoke and tobacco advertising remains widespread, particularly in public spaces and among younger age groups. Around 163,600 Pakistanis die each year from tobacco-related causes, equating to 448 deaths per day.
WHO Representative in Pakistan, Dr. Luo Dapeng, commented that the GATS 2024 results confirm that international cooperation and specific measures like taxation and banning tobacco advertisements can protect lives. He stressed that all tobacco products are deadly and that WHO will continue to support Pakistan in protecting children and families from this public health threat.
