Petition Form
Sign the petition to ask the government to BAN the sale of all novel tobacco and nicotine products – protect our youth now!
Novel tobacco and nicotine products are the greatest threat to this generation and the ones to come.
At this time:
5% of youth use some form of e-cigarette or vape – and this number is on the rise
At least 1 in 5 tobacco vendors display novel products such as VELO in their stores across 8 cities in Pakistan
There are no laws, regulations or restrictions on the production, advertising, sale and health warnings of these products in Pakistan.
As a signatory of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), it is the duty of the government to maintain strong regulations on these fast-changing products, of which the long-term consequences are still unknown. Without proper policy adoption and implementation, the health of millions of Pakistani youths is at risk.
Novel tobacco/nicotine products are being promoted as a less harmful alternative to cigarette smoking in many countries, and there is active targeting of the youth – which make up the most vulnerable populations1.
Many brands, such as Velo, Vaporesso, etc, claim that their products do not contain tobacco and this makes them “less harmful.” However, they still contain nicotine, which causes addiction and affects heart, lung and brain function amongst children2. They also contain unregulated chemicals that may cause other harms, especially to growing children.
In Pakistan, there is little to no well-implemented legislation related to smokeless and/or novel tobacco. Without a greater tobacco control policy, we will continue losing lives to these dangerous products disguised as “safer alternatives.”
Sources:
Vaping and smokeless tobacco control in South Asia: A policy review, Annals of Medicine and Surgery, Volume 81, 2022
Is ‘Velo’ prevalent in Pakistan?, Global Tobacco Control