Velo Major Health Hazard Like Tobaccos Smoking: Experts

The experts at a media awareness session on "Demand for ban on use of tobacco and nicotine products" urged the government to halt advertisements of Velo a nicotine product as harmless item as it was a major health hazardous item like tobacco smoking

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Mar, 2022 ) :The experts at a media awareness session on "Demand for ban on use of tobacco and nicotine products" urged the government to halt advertisements of Velo a nicotine product as harmless item as it was a major health hazardous item like tobacco smoking.

A media session on "Demand for ban on use of tobacco and nicotine products" was organized by Pakistan National Heart Association (PANAH) here on Wednesday, said a news release.

General Secretary and Director Operations PANAH Sana Ullah Ghumman said it was absolutely wrong to label nicotine products without smoke as a benign item. "The use of nicotine clogs blood vessels and blood flow. It increases the risk of many serious diseases, including leukoplakia," he warned.

Ghumman said the high doses and long-term use of nicotine could cause more dangerous symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, dizziness, which was why it was recommended to keep the Velo pouch in the mouth for only 30 minutes. "And it is strictly forbidden to swallow it, which proves that the ingredients in Velo are harmful," he underlined.

Chairperson National Commission for the Rights of Child (NCRC) Afshan Tehseen Bajwa said it was wrong to declare Velo to be tobacco-free and to justify that no harmful effects appear after its use.

"Tobacco and Velo both contain nicotine, a major cause of diseases for the human body. Velo is not sign for better health,its very harmful for every person specially for youngsters." Country Head of Campaign For tobacco Free kids Malik Imran said despite the use of tobacco, which killed eight million people each year, a new generation was attracted to nicotine-containing Velo, e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches and social media were used extensively to promote tobacco, aimed at targeting adult users ,specially young girls. "For this purpose, samples of Velo Nicotine Pouches were provided free of cost at grocery, pan shops and shops in Pakistan. Young boys were also used to promote Velo, they Selling samples on commission."A large number of participants belonging to different schools of thought appreciated that the government had requested the administrations of social media websites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to play their role in stopping the promotion of Velo on their websites.

"This is a positive step for the government, which we welcome. We appeal to our Government that youth are our future, kindly save them, and immediately ban on the use of Velo in Pakistan, so that the young generation can be protected from its harms."