By Our Staff Reporter Karachi: Hailing the Supreme Court’s order to all the provincial governments for launching crackdown against shisha cafes, Pakistan Medical Association’s (PMA) Finance Secretary Dr SM Qaiser Sajjad said the apex court’s decision would help reduce the incidence of cancer in the country. Voicing his concern over rising cases of mouth, breast, liver, lungs and stomach cancer in the country, he said that the shisha-smoking is 100 times harmful than cigarette-smoking and regular smoking of shisha causes cancer of lungs, mouth, stomach and other diseases. Dr Qaiser Sajjad, who is also a seasoned ENT specialist, said that usage of tobacco products in the form of shisha and cigarettes was gaining popularity among youths due to several reasons. He said consumption of cigarettes and shisha are not only dangerous for smokers, but also for the passive smokers. He said mouth cancer has nowadays become a common disease among youths as they are unaware of the fact that the betel nuts’ liquid and gutka were being prepared by using hazardous chemicals. He said major causes of mouth cancer include increasing trend of chewing betel leaf, betel nut, smoking cigarettes and Shisha among students and elders. He demanded that the laws relating to cigarette-smoking at public places and sale of cigarettes to below 18-year people must be implemented in letter and spirit. Besides, there should be a complete ban on production, sale and consumption of betel leaf, betel nut, mainpuri, gutaka, he added. He deplored that though all necessary laws exist in the country, the authorities concerned have, so far, failed to implement them.
