The Pakistan National Heart Association (PANAH) has expressed deep concern over the Senate's approval of new heated tobacco legislation, warning that the decision bypassed vital consultations with public health experts, doctors, and medical institutions in Islamabad.
The controversial framework aims to integrate emerging tobacco and nicotine products into the national legal landscape. However, health advocates stress that policies carrying major public health consequences must not be enacted without rigorous, expert-led scientific review.
Health Experts Warn Against Normalizing Emerging Tobacco Products
Medical professionals consistently warn that heated tobacco and nicotine products carry severe health risks. Contrary to industry marketing, health bodies maintain these items are not safe alternatives to conventional smoking.
PANAH argues that regulatory frameworks must prioritize disease prevention rather than creating pathways that normalize or expand the availability of addictive products across Pakistan.
Senate Committee Bypasses Promised Stakeholder Hearings
The dispute follows a similar legislative challenge where a special Senate committee previously recommended repealing a tobacco law, advising that future decisions must involve key stakeholders like PANAH.
Despite earlier assurances, requests to present scientific evidence to the Senate Standing Committee on Health were repeatedly sidelined:
Direct Appeals: PANAH formally wrote to both the Senate Chairman and the Health Committee Head requesting a hearing.
Canceled Meetings: Direct meetings arranged with the bill's sponsor were repeatedly postponed and never materialized.
Ignored Petitions: Letters sent to all committee members requesting expert briefings went unanswered before the final vote.
PANAH Demands Evidence-Based Public Health Policy
"When legislation concerns products that may affect public health, listening to the voice of health experts is not merely an option; it is an essential part of responsible legislation," said PANAH General
Secretary Sana Ullah Ghumman.
PANAH continues to call for full transparency, urging lawmakers to anchor all future nicotine regulations in independent science, robust stakeholder consensus, and strict protection of public health.
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