- Increased anxiety in women, a major factor in depression.
- Women’s bone density decreases; The risk of breaking the hip bone increases.
- 80 percent of lung diseases in women are caused by smoking.
The Pakistan Tobacco Board has recently revealed that the number of Pakistani women smokers has increased to a shocking 72%, as reported by Geo News.
A survey shared by the Tobacco Board with the Public Accounts Subcommittee in the federal capital said the rise in the number of female smokers has raised serious concerns among medical experts about the serious health effects of the habit.
Smoking is a major cause of increased anxiety and depression among women, the habit doubles the risk of stroke and has a serious impact on their reproductive health, say health experts.
The risk of stillbirth and a 20-fold increase in the likelihood of fatal lung disease in newborns are increased when women smoke, the experts added, adding that women who smoke have lower bone density, which increases the risk of hip fractures.
Statistics show that there are more than 30 million smokers in Pakistan and more than 80 billion cigarettes are smoked annually.
Pakistan is one of the countries that suffers from high death rate due to smoking related concerns, where 160,000 people die every year.
Cancer, respiratory and heart related problems are counted among the biggest causes of death in the country.
Amazingly 80% of lung diseases in women are caused by smoking.
The Tobacco Board further pointed out that taxes, levies and excise duties already comprise 85% of the price of each pack of cigarettes; However, the Social Policy and Development Center (SPDC) says this is insufficient.
It has been suggested to add 30% more to the existing taxes.
The SPDC said that doing so would not only generate 27 billion rupees in revenue, but also discourage 700,000 people from smoking.
