PESHAWAR   -   Blue Veins, a local organization working in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, organized a training workshop for media personnel focusing on tobacco control and the significant role of media in highlighting the impacts of newer tobacco & nicotine products.

This workshop was held as part of a broader initiative to equip media professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to understand and report on public health issues related to tobacco use, said a press release issued here on Thursday. The training workshop provided a platform for journalists and media representatives to delve into the core concepts of tobacco control. It aimed to enhance their understanding of how tobacco use is perceived within the community, notably how this perception is often shaped by advertising and promotional activities.

The workshop examined the evolving landscape of tobacco products, including emerging nicotine and tobacco products, and discussed evidence-based strategies for effective tobacco control. It highlighted that aggressive marketing of newer products is exploiting legal loopholes, going unchecked and leading to increased nicotine dependence among citizens, particularly the youth. The lack of stringent regulations has allowed unchecked promotion, causing a surge in youth addiction rates. The organization called upon media professionals to urgently address this gap through public awareness and advocate for stronger legal frameworks to safeguard public health against the rising tide of nicotine dependency.