By Our Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD, Sept 16: The Pakistan National Heart Association (Panah) has raised serious questions over the Senate Standing Committee on Health’s approval of legislation seeking to bring new and emerging tobacco products, including heated tobacco products, under a legal and regulatory framework without formally hearing health experts and medical organisations.
Panah has stated that legislation concerning products with potential public health consequences should not be approved without consultation with doctors, public health institutions, medical organisations and civil society.
The association said it had repeatedly sought an opportunity to brief the committee on scientific evidence regarding the potential health risks of emerging tobacco products, but its requests did not result in a formal hearing before the legislation was approved.
General Secretary Panah Sanaullah Ghumman said the association had approached the chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Health after learning about the bill and later wrote to the Senate chairman, requesting that health-sector organisations be given an opportunity to present their views.
According to him, the Senate chairman subsequently directed the health committee chairman to hear its position. However, he said, it was instead proposed that its representatives meet the senator who had introduced the bill and explain their concerns directly.
The association said it welcomed the proposal and made repeated attempts to arrange the meeting, but it was postponed several times and ultimately did not take place.
Finally association wrote to the committee chairman, arguing that the issue was not simply a matter between the association and the bill’s sponsor but a national public health concern requiring formal discussion by the health committee.
It also contacted members of the standing committee, requesting that medical organisations, health experts and civil society representatives be invited to present evidence before any legislative decision.
“When legislation concerns products that may affect public health, listening to the voice of health experts is not just an option; it is an essential part of responsible legislation,” Mr Ghumman said.
Association has maintained that emerging tobacco products should not be treated as safe alternatives to conventional tobacco products and warned that regulatory measures should not unintentionally normalise their use or increase their availability.
The association called for tobacco and nicotine policies to be based on independent scientific evidence and public health considerations, with broad stakeholder consultation before legislation is finalised.
It stated the committee’s approval of the bill without hearing relevant health organisations had raised concerns about the transparency and inclusiveness of the legislative consultation process.
