Experts say that nicotine is a highly addictive and harmful substance; Standardization could lead to use among adolescents.
A store displaying electronic cigarettes and vaping products. Source: Reuters
PESHAWAR:
Civil society organizations (CSOs), 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 concerning given earlier indications that policymakers were examining stricter measures, including a possible ban on vaping products due to growing 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, signaling its intention to address 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 considered a responsible and timely step to protect public health and safeguard young people from nicotine addiction, the statement added.
However, recent and unconfirmed reports suggesting that nicotine products could be classified or regulated as “recreational items” have created serious concern among health advocates and civil society organizations.
Public health experts emphasize that nicotine is a highly addictive and harmful substance and should never be classified as a recreational product. Such classification risks normalizing nicotine consumption and could lead to greater accessibility and use, particularly among adolescents and young adults, they added.
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Nicotine exposure has been linked to addiction, cardiovascular disease, 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 dependence and may serve as a gateway to other tobacco and nicotine products.
In addition to serious health consequences, nicotine addiction also imposes substantial 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) said any move to categorize nicotine as a recreational item would represent a serious setback for the country’s tobacco control and public health efforts.
“Nicotine is not a recreational substance. It is an addictive chemical that poses serious health risks and contributes to long-term social and economic burdens. Any progress towards regularizing nicotine in recreational items must be rolled back immediately,” Afridi said.
Civil society organizations emphasized that Pakistan has already committed to strengthening tobacco and nicotine control through national policies and international public health frameworks.
Reframing nicotine as a recreational product would undermine these commitments and could open the door to greater commercialization, accessibility, and consumption of nicotine products.
Organizations working on children’s rights, youth development and public health have also strongly condemned any such possible political direction. They warned that greater availability and standardization of nicotine products could expose children and adolescents to addictive substances at a young age and reverse years of progress made in tobacco control.
Civil society groups are calling 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.
Policymakers must remain firmly committed to protecting citizens’ health and preventing the spread of nicotine addiction, they urged.
