Our Vision for a Healthier Pakistan
We envision a future where public health policy is driven by scientific evidence, compassion, and a commitment to saving lives—not by fear or misinformation. A future where adult smokers are empowered with safer choices, and our youth are protected through smart, targeted regulation.
Our Manifesto: A Call for Evidence-Based Policy
The recent ban on vaping products in Punjab represents a critical failure of public health policy. While framed as a measure to protect youth, it is a disproportionate and counterproductive action that ignores decades of scientific evidence on tobacco harm reduction. It punishes adult smokers who have found a lifeline away from deadly cigarettes and paradoxically protects the interests of the conventional tobacco industry. This movement, Tambaku se Tahaffuz, was founded on a simple principle: policy must be proportional to risk.
The Inconvenient Truth of the Ban
A Policy of Contradiction
The foundation of any sound public health strategy is consistency. On one hand, the state acknowledges the catastrophic harm caused by smoking. On the other hand, it has swiftly banned a significantly safer alternative that could reduce the burden of smoking-related diseases and save the state billions in healthcare costs.
This selective prohibition denies adult smokers their right to harm reduction, forcing them to choose between abstinence—which has a very low success rate—and continuing a habit that will likely kill them.
Annual Impact in Pakistan
160,000+
Deaths from Legal Cigarettes
95%
Less Harmful Alternative is BANNED
Anatomy of a Failed Policy: The Four Loopholes of Prohibition
A ban does not eliminate a product; it eliminates regulation. This creates four dangerous outcomes that undermine the very goals of public health.
1. A Thriving Black Market
Demand for vaping products will not disappear. It will be met by illicit sellers with no quality control, no safety standards, and potentially dangerous additives. India's vape ban is a clear example of this failure, leading to a massive unregulated market.
2. The Economic Devastation
The overnight ban in Punjab destroyed over 300 legitimate small businesses and impacted more than 1,000 families (Source). This loss of jobs and legitimate tax revenue is a self-inflicted wound on our economy, pushing all commerce into the hands of criminals.
3. The Tragedy of Smoking Relapse
The most heartbreaking consequence is forcing ex-smokers back to deadly cigarettes. When their safer alternative is removed, many will relapse. As smoking kills up to half its users, every preventable relapse is a potential life lost, directly caused by this flawed policy.
4. Worsened Youth Access
Ironically, this ban will likely make it easier for youth to access vapes. Licensed shops must verify age. Unregulated black market dealers have no such rules and no accountability, directly contradicting the primary justification for the ban.
A Tale of Two Vapes: A Call for Smart Distinction
A key failure of the current ban is treating all vaping devices as one and the same. A smart, nuanced policy must understand the difference between a medical tool for quitting and a recreational hobby device.
The Solution: Low-Wattage Devices for Cessation
These are small, discreet "pod systems" that use nicotine salts to mimic the nicotine delivery of a cigarette. They are not designed for large clouds but for effective craving relief. This is the technology that has helped millions of smokers quit globally and is the cornerstone of tobacco harm reduction. These devices should be regulated like any other therapeutic aid: available to adults with strict controls.
The Youth Concern: High-Wattage "Cloud" Devices
Large, powerful "mods" designed to produce massive clouds are often used recreationally. Their flashy nature and the "cloud chasing" culture can be attractive to youth. A smart policy would place much stricter controls—such as higher taxes, flavor restrictions, and advertising bans—specifically on these high-wattage devices, without punishing smokers who rely on the low-wattage alternative to stay off cigarettes.
What the Global Scientific Community Says
Our position is not controversial. It is supported by overwhelming evidence from the world's leading public health institutions.
Public Health England
Famously concluded that vaping is approximately 95% less harmful than smoking and has reaffirmed this position in multiple official reviews.
The Royal College of Physicians
Stated that e-cigarettes "meet many of the criteria for an ideal tobacco harm-reduction product" because they deliver nicotine without the vast majority of harmful toxins.
Cochrane Reviews
The global gold standard in evidence assessment found with "high-certainty" that nicotine e-cigarettes are more effective for quitting smoking than patches or gum.
Myths vs. Facts: Debunking the Misinformation
Myth:
"Vaping is just as bad as smoking."
Fact:
Dangerously false. The primary harm from cigarettes is from thousands of toxins in smoke. Vaping is not combustion. The UK's NHS states it poses "a small fraction of the risk of smoking."
Myth:
"Vaping is a gateway to smoking for kids."
Fact:
While there's an association, many studies show vaping is now diverting more youth away from smoking. In countries like the UK where vaping is regulated, youth smoking rates have fallen to historic lows.
Myth:
"Nicotine causes cancer."
Fact:
False. While nicotine is addictive, it is the tar and thousands of other chemicals in cigarette smoke that cause cancer. Nicotine itself is not a significant carcinogen (Cancer Research UK).
Myth:
"Secondhand vapor is as dangerous as smoke."
Fact:
The evidence shows that exposure to secondhand vapor poses no significant risk to the health of bystanders. The aerosol contains significantly fewer toxicants than cigarette smoke and dissipates much more quickly.
Myth:
"Banning vapes forces people to quit nicotine."
Fact:
A ban does not eliminate addiction. It removes the safer option, leaving people with two choices: return to deadly cigarettes or turn to the unregulated black market. It's a policy that punishes, not helps.
Our Clear Stance: What We Stand For
We Are Anti-Smoking
Our primary goal is to reduce death and disease from combustible tobacco. Vaping is simply the most effective tool available to achieve that goal.
We Oppose Youth Vaping
We strongly advocate for strict regulations (age 21+), marketing bans, and harsh penalties to prevent youth access. This is non-negotiable.
We Support Adult Choice
Adults addicted to nicotine deserve access to less harmful alternatives and accurate information to make informed choices about their health.
We Demand Regulation
An unregulated market is dangerous. A total ban is counterproductive. A strict, well-enforced regulatory framework is the only logical path forward.
Who We Are
Tambaku se Tahaffuz is not a corporation or a foreign-funded NGO. We are a grassroots coalition of concerned Pakistani citizens. We are ex-smokers who have improved our health. We are the wives, husbands, sons, and daughters who have watched our loved ones suffer from tobacco-related diseases. We are doctors who believe in evidence-based medicine and public health professionals who understand the principles of harm reduction. We are small business owners whose livelihoods were destroyed by a thoughtless policy. We are united by one common belief: our nation deserves a public health strategy that is both compassionate and intelligent.
How You Can Help
1. Sign the Petition
The most important first step. Your signature adds to a growing chorus demanding our leaders reverse this ban and adopt a science-based approach.
Sign Now2. Share Your Story
Personal stories are our most powerful tool to show the human cost of this policy. Share your anonymous story to help us educate policymakers and the public.
Share Your Story3. Spread the Facts
Counter the misinformation. Share our articles and facts on your social media. Talk to your friends and family. A well-informed public cannot be misled by fear-based policy.
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