Govt urged to begin blanket screening of students for smoking.

ISLAMABAD -- A group of civil society organisations have urged the government to begin a blanket screening of high school and college students for smoking.

The Coalition of Anti-Smoking Fighters, an alliance of five NGOs and non-profits, revealed the findings of a preliminary health screening survey that sampled volunteers who were students in high school and college.

The coalition said the survey was taken in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar from October 2019 to March 2020.

Under the survey, 2,000 volunteers students were screened seeking their routine smoking and health patterns.

According to its findings, 70pc of students and other young adults fall in the light and intermittent smoking category, but are at a greater risk of becoming addicted to narcotics or tobacco. They are also likely to develop adverse health affects from smoking habits in their early 20s, the survey suggested.

A press release issued by the coalition said that representatives from the Human Development Foundation, Concerted Teachers Foundations, Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child, Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, and Pakistan National Heart Foundation conducted the survey to find smoking patterns, dependence, and other health factors.

The alliance...