Health experts warn against tobacco industry's marketing gimmicks to attract youth.

ISLAMABAD -- Health experts have shown concerns over the deceptively dangerous marketing tactics of tobacco industry to attract the youth.

In a press release issued here on Tuesday by the Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC), the experts warned that tobacco was the health hazard that leads to death and a global 'talent hunt' competition organized by the world's biggest tobacco company would further spread diseases caused by consumption of tobacco products.

Malik Imran Ahmed, Country Head, Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids (CTFK) stated that tobacco companies couldn't be considered the same as other multinational corporations as their primary goal was to make profit from the deadly tobacco products. These products cause 8 million deaths around the world and 170,000 deaths in Pakistan each year, he added.

Taking advantage of weak tobacco control policies, Malik Imran said, these companies organize campaigns which were merely publicity stunts meant to bolster their public image, disguise their deadly profit-motive, and recruit young people to help spread death and disease.

The vast proportion of damage caused by tobacco occurs in low and middle-income countries like Pakistan who were being targeted in this year's competition, he warned.

Khalil Ahmed Dogar, Program Manager SPARC, stated that the devastating harm to societies and families created by tobacco-related death and disease far...