Barriers to Cigarette Smoking Cessation in Pakistan: Evidence from Qualitative Analysis
With over 25 million tobacco users, Pakistan has one of the largest smoking populations in the world. Tobacco addiction comes with grave health consequences, especially for the poor and marginalized. This study explores barriers to smoking cessation in marginalized communities of Islamabad and the possibility of their use of Harm Reduction Products (HRPs), primarily e-cigarettes. Methodology. The study has used primary data of 48 respondents from marginalized communities.
An overview of smoking practices in Pakistan
Smoking remains a major player in morbidity and mortality worldwide. It is a matter of immense public health importance as single leading cause of preventable deaths. The aim of this study was to assess smoking practices that prevail across Pakistan & Attitude of people towards this issue. We conducted an extensive search on major databases as well as search of bibliography of published literature for studies assessing Attitudes and Practices of tobacco smoking that prevail across Pakistan.
Global Tuberculosis Report 2020 - Reflections on the Global TB burden, treatment and prevention efforts
The October 2020 Global TB report reviews TB control strategies and United Nations (UN) targets set in the political declaration at the September 2018 UN General Assembly high-level meeting on TB held in New York. Progress in TB care and prevention has been very slow. In 2019, TB remained the most common cause of death from a single infectious pathogen. Globally, an estimated 10.0 million people developed TB disease in 2019, and there were an estimated 1.2 million TB deaths among HIV-negative people and an additional 208, 000 deaths among people living with HIV.
Smoking prevalence among tuberculosis patients: A crosssectional study in Bangladesh and Pakistan
Smoking has a negative impact on TB outcomes. We estimated the proportion of TB patients who smoke and are willing to quit in two high TB burden countries, Bangladesh and Pakistan. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among TB patients to assess their eligibility and recruit them to a smoking cessation randomized controlled trial. Adults diagnosed with TB were recruited from 32 health facilities in Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Tobacco Smoking a Potential Risk Factor in Transmission of COVID-19 Infection
Corona Virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global pandemic and is caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) group of viruses. To date, April 25, 2020, more than 2.4 million humans are infected and more than a hundred thousand deaths have been reported from more than 200 countries from COVID-19. There is no evidence-based treatment for the infection and prevention of transmission using social distancing, isolation and hygiene measures is widely recommended. Tobacco smoking is rampant in communities around the globe and the addiction to tobacco results in deaths of more than 8 million individuals each year.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Smoking Patterns in Pakistan: Findings From a Longitudinal Survey of Smokers
In a longitudinal survey, we asked cigarette smokers in Pakistan about their smoking behaviors before and since COVID-19. Smokers were recruited before COVID-19 using two-stage random probability sampling. Since COVID-19, three subsequent waves were conducted over the telephone, asking additional questions on social determinants, mental health, and well-being. Based on the first two waves, we estimated the proportion of smokers who stopped, decreased, maintained, or increased smoking.
Smokeless tobacco cessation interventions: A systematic review
Smokeless tobacco (SLT) consumption is a global health issue with about 350 million users and numerous adverse health consequences like oral cancer and myocardial disorders. Hence, cessation of SLT use is as essential as smoking cessation. An update on the available literature on SLT cessation intervention studies is provided here.
Disparities in smokeless tobacco use in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan: Findings from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey, 2014-2017
Smokeless tobacco (SLT) use is associated with multiple adverse health effects. It is prominent in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan, but disparities in use within and across these countries are not well documented or understood. This study assessed the prevalence, patterns, and correlates of SLT use in these three countries.
