Experts say nicotine is a highly addictive and harmful substance; normalisation could lead to use among adolescents
A shop displaying e-cigarettes and vape products. Source: Reuters
PESHAWAR:
Civil society organisations (CSO), public health advocates, and child 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 on Wednesday, the public health advocates observed that these reports are particularly troubling given earlier indications that policymakers were examining stronger measures, including a potential ban on vaping products due to increasing health concerns and growing use of such products among young people.
The stance taken by the Federal Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, signalling its intention of addressing public health risks associated with vaping products and other emerging nicotine devices, was widely welcomed and appreciated by civil society and public interest groups across Pakistan.
That position was widely regarded as a responsible and timely step toward protecting public health and safeguarding youth from nicotine addiction, the statement added.
However, the recent and unconfirmed reports suggesting that nicotine products may instead be categorized or regulated under “recreational items” have created serious concern among health advocates and civil society organizations.
Public health experts emphasise that nicotine is a highly addictive and harmful substance and should never be classified as a recreational product. Such a classification risks normalizing nicotine consumption and could lead to increased accessibility and use, particularly among adolescents and young adults, they added.
Read: Price control mechanism falters
Nicotine exposure has been linked to addiction, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory complications, and harmful impacts on brain development among youth. Scientific evidence shows that early exposure to nicotine significantly increases the risk of long-term dependency and can serve as a gateway to other tobacco and nicotine products.
In addition to the serious health consequences, nicotine addiction also imposes substantial economic costs, creating long-term burdens on healthcare systems, families, and the national economy due to the treatment of tobacco-related illnesses.
The National Alliance for Sustainable Tobacco and Nicotine Control (NASTNC)’s Usman Afridi mentioned that any move to categorise nicotine as a recreational item would represent a serious setback for the country’s public health and tobacco control efforts.
“Nicotine is not a recreational substance. It is an addictive chemical that poses severe health risks and contributes to long-term social and economic burdens. Any progress toward regularizing nicotine under recreational items must be immediately rolled back,” said Afridi.
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 commitments and could open the door to increased marketing, accessibility, and consumption of nicotine products.
Organizations working on child rights, youth development, and public health have also strongly condemned any such potential policy direction. They cautioned that increased availability and normalization of nicotine products could expose children and adolescents to addictive substances at an early age and reverse years of progress made in tobacco control.
Civil society groups call upon 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.
Policymakers must remain firmly committed to protecting the health of citizens and preventing the spread of nicotine addiction, they urged.
