Experts say that nicotine is a highly addictive and harmful substance; normalization may lead to use among young people
A store with e-cigarettes and vape products. Source: Reuters
PESHAWAR:
Civil society organizations (CSO), public health advocates and children’s rights networks have expressed deep concern over reports suggesting the classification of nicotine products as “recreational items” to allow their sale in the country.
In a statement issued Wednesday, public health advocates noted that these reports are particularly troubling given earlier indications that policymakers were exploring stronger measures, including a potential ban on vaping products because of rising health concerns and growing use of such products among youth.
The stance taken by the federal Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, signaling its intention to address public health risks associated with vapor products and other new nicotine devices, was widely welcomed and appreciated by civil society and public interest groups across Pakistan.
This position was widely viewed as a responsible and timely step toward protecting public health and protecting youth from nicotine addiction, the statement added.
However, recent and unconfirmed reports suggesting that nicotine products may instead be categorized or regulated under “recreational items” have raised serious concerns among health advocates and civil society organizations.
Public health experts stress that nicotine is a highly addictive and harmful substance and should never be classified as a recreational product. Such a classification risks normalizing nicotine use and could lead to increased availability and use, particularly among adolescents and young adults, they added.
Read: The price control mechanism falters
Nicotine exposure has been linked to addiction, cardiovascular disease, respiratory complications and adverse effects on brain development among young people. Scientific evidence shows that early exposure to nicotine significantly increases the risk of long-term addiction and can serve as a gateway to other tobacco and nicotine products.
In addition to the serious health consequences, nicotine addiction also imposes significant economic costs, creating long-term burdens on health systems, families and the national economy due to the treatment of tobacco-related diseases.
Usman Afridi of the National Alliance for Sustainable Tobacco and Nicotine Control (NASTNC) mentioned that any move to categorize nicotine as a recreational item would represent a serious setback to the country’s public health and tobacco control efforts.
“Nicotine is not a recreational drug. It is an addictive chemical that poses serious health risks and contributes to long-term social and economic burdens. Any progress towards regulating nicotine under recreational items must be immediately rolled back,” Afridi said.
Civil society organizations emphasized that Pakistan has already made commitments to strengthen tobacco and nicotine control through national policies and international public health frameworks.
Reframing nicotine as a recreational commodity would undermine these obligations and could open the door to increased marketing, availability and consumption of nicotine products.
Organizations working on children’s rights, youth development and public health have also strongly condemned any such potential policy direction. They warned that increased availability and normalization of nicotine products could expose children and young people to addictive substances at an early age and reverse years of progress in tobacco control.
Civil society groups call on the government and relevant authorities to prioritize evidence-based public health policies and ensure that nicotine products are not trivialized or normalized through inappropriate regulatory classifications.
Politicians must remain firmly committed to protecting citizens’ health and preventing the spread of nicotine addiction, they urged.
