Progga, an anti-tobacco organization, expressed concerned as multinational tobacco companies are allegedly funding a campaign to promote e-cigarettes and vaping products in Bangladesh under the guise of research on smoking alternatives.
The Association for Community Empowerment (ACE) Bangladesh, the UK-based Centre for Substance Use Research (CSUR), and Enam Medical College are collaborating on a study focusing on tobacco harm reduction among Bangladeshi diabetic patients, said a media release of Progga on Wednesday.
The study is being financed by the Foundation for Smoke-free World (FSFW), a front organization sponsored by Philip Morris International (PMI), it said.
“The timing of this campaign is particularly concerning, as the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) is currently working on amending the tobacco control law, which could potentially ban e-cigarettes and vaping altogether,” reads the release.
With support from the tobacco industry, this well-funded campaign raises questions about its intentions and motives.
The FSFW, established in 2017 with funds from PMI, has drawn significant criticism from public health and anti-tobacco activists. The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed alarm over any involvement or collaboration with the foundation, citing a serious conflict of interest, it added.
The WHO FCTC Secretariat emphasized that cooperating with FSFW, given its funding arrangement from a tobacco multinational, would be a violation of Article 5.3 of the Convention on tobacco industry interference.
While several countries, including India, have opted not to engage with FSFW at a government level due to its controversial activities, Bangladesh has yet to take decisive action on this matter. As a signatory to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), Bangladesh is urged to follow the WHO's recommendations and issue clear directives, dissociating itself from FSFW and preventing any tobacco industry interference, said the release.
It is essential for all Bangladeshi organizations involved, such as ACE and Enam Medical College, to distance themselves from entities that work against public health interests, it added.
The focus should be on safeguarding the well-being of the population, particularly by prioritizing effective tobacco control measures and discouraging the use of e-cigarettes and vaping products, it added.