VELO damaging women’s health needs to be banned: Experts

The Pakistan National Heart Association (PANAH) on Tuesday urged the government to ban new tobacco products dubbed as popping bags being used as alternate to smoking cigrattes that were directly damaging women health particularly young girls.

A consultative meeting was held in this regard under the chairmanship of Sana Ullah Ghumman, General Secretary, Pakistan National Heart Association (PANAH), which was attended by PANAH members.

The meeting discussed harmful effects of VELO (a popping bag of tobacco used to avoid smoking).

Speaking on the occasion, General Secretary Pakistan National Heart Association (PANAH) Sana Ullah Ghumman said that developed nations come up with long term plans for a better future of their young generation through well thought strategies especially to protect them from hazardous impacts of smoking.

This new tobacco product (VELO) had set the vision to make young girls addicted to tobacco after young boys where it was being publicized in a beautiful way, he regretted.

“Girls could not hold a pack of cigarettes, could not smoke in front of their families, but now VELO has been introduced in beautiful packaging to make them addicted to tobacco, already among people suffering from heart diseases due to tobacco,” he said.

An individual, he said was losing his life every minute and a half, new tactics were being adopted to make the young generation addicted to tobacco, and the tobacco industry has introduced a product called VELO, which put the future of the nation’s children, especially girls, at serious risk.

“Beautifully designed, this box of VELO will look like a toffee box or a jewelry box, now the girls can easily hide it from parents, teachers and use it in front of people.”

VELO, he said was readily available in every market, grocery stores, hotels, cinemas, adding, tobacco use in various ways was a major precursor to deadly diseases including heart disease.

“The future of our youth, especially young girls, is at stake. New tactics are being used to create a sick society instead of a healthy one. The government must play its part in keeping tobacco access away from the younger generation. We urge the government to ban VELO sale immediately.”

Sania Iftikhar

Sania is a Fashion grad from AIFD. Blogging is what she loves doing.