A new study published in the British Medical Journal’s Tobacco Control journal has highlighted the importance of monitoring the tobacco industry’s interference in the formulation and implementation of graphic health warnings.

The study titled “Tobacco industry interference to undermine the development and implementation of graphic health warnings in Bangladesh” examined the tobacco industry’s efforts to “delay and weaken” the implementation of graphic health warnings (GHWs) in Bangladesh.

The study found that the Bangladesh Cigarette Manufacturers’ Association (BCMA) was the most active industry actor in interfering with the process, reads a media release sent by PROGGA.

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British American Tobacco Bangladesh (BATB) was most active and the only company that acted alone to thwart GHW implementation, according to the study.

The study urges the government of Bangladesh to adopt WHO FCTC Article 5.3 Guidelines and to make their implementation a policy priority.

The paper was co-authored by Professor Anna B Gilmore, Director of the Tobacco Control Research Group at the University of Bath; Dr Britta K Matthes, Research Associate in the Tobacco Control Research Group at the University of Bath; and four tobacco control advocates from PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress), a Bangladesh-based anti-tobacco research and advocacy organization – ABM Zubair, Executive Director of PROGGA, Md Hasan Shahriar, Head of Programs, Md Shahedul Alam, Head of Advocacy, and Md Mehedi Hasan, Media Manager of Tobacco Control Program.