Experts at an event Sunday urged policymakers to incorporate a tobacco harm reduction (THR) strategy into their tobacco control plans and establish safer alternatives such as vaping products. To commemorate World Vape Day 2022, Voice of Vapers Bangladesh organised the panel discussion "The Need for a Tobacco Harm Reduction Strategy: Achieving the Government's Health Agenda and Revenue Ambitions" in Dhaka.  Dr Delon Human, president of Health Diplomats and an expert on harm reduction, said: "To achieve a tobacco-free Bangladesh by 2040, there needs to be a credible harm reduction strategy as practised by many developed countries. The authorities must consider regulating safer alternatives such as vaping and make them accessible to smokers wanting to quit."  Dr Altamash Mahmood, core faculty member (public health nutrition) at the Bangladesh Open University, said: "Cigarettes are harmful, but nicotine is not. This is because smoking involves combustion that creates tar and other toxicants. Vaping only heats the liquid to create vapour to deliver nicotine. It does not induce second-hand smoking." Schumann Zaman, president of Bangladesh Electronic Nicotine Systems Traders Association, talked about how vaping can help the government achieve its health agenda along with its revenue ambitions.  "We need to capitalise on this by regulating the vaping industry; ensuring that the right products brought through the right channels are made accessible. This can only be achieved if a THR strategy is adopted, curated for adult smokers looking to quit, along with the enactment of sensible regulations."   Also read: Bangladesh slightly improves in global tobacco tax index

Chattogram Customs in a recent investigation found out that a company has tried to evade Tk 7 .11 crore revenue by importing cigarettes behind dates from Dubai. The consignment had 55,52,400 sticks of Mound cigarettes worth Tk 1.19 Crore, said MD Sharfuddin Mia, Deputy Commissioner of Chattogram Customs House. He said the information was revealed on Sunday during a physical examination at Ispahani Summit Alliance Terminals Limited at Sagarika. Also read: Customs officials recover firearms, ammo hidden in household goods at Ctg port According to customs, a 40 feet container supposed to be filled with dates was shipped on December 27, last year from Jebel Ali port in Dubai and it reached Chattogram Port on December 30. The consignment was imported by Suchona International owned by Jahangir Alam from Boktopur in Fatikchhari upazila in Chattogram. After the importer did not submit a bill of entry for four months and the container was lying at the yard, Customs officials conducted a physical test Sunday which revealed the irregularity. Among the 2,772 cartons in the container 1,983 had cigarettes which were hidden behind 789 cartons of dates. Also read: Customs hotline starts test operation for ASYCUDA related service MD Sharfuddin Mia said, “In fear of detective surveillance the importer could not release the consignment of cigarettes from the port. Strict legal actions will be taken against importer Suchona International for trying to evade revenue.”

Speakers at a seminar have proposed for raising the price of low-tier cigarettes to discourage smoking as well as minimize health risks. If the prices of cigarettes are raised, it will boost revenue generation of the government as well, they said. They came up with the suggestions at the seminar organized jointly by Dhaka Ahsania Mission and the Economic Reporters’ Forum (ERF) titled “Tobacco Price and Tax” held at the ERF auditorium in the city on Saturday. Presided over by ERF President Sharmeen Rinvy, its general secretary SM Rashidul Islam, Dhaka Ahsania Mission deputy director Mokhlesur Rahman, CTFK Grants manager Abdus Salam Mia spoke, among others, on the occasion. The speakers said although the low-tier cigarettes occupy almost 75 percent of the whole industry, but its price remained unchanged over the last two years. As a result, the number of smokers at this level is not declining. Also read: E-cigarettes turn many young people into smokers: expert Director (research) of Unnayan Shamannay Abdullah Nadvy made the key-note presentation. The speakers said that the price of cigarettes at the low-tier has remained unchanged over the last two years. They suggested that the price of cigarettes should be increased considering the rise in per capita income and inflation. They said there is no alternative to raising the price of tobacco products to turn Bangladesh as a tobacco-free country by 2041. Nadvi in his key-note presentation said that the current duty structure of cigarettes is complex and it should be more simplified. He proposed for raising  the price of every cigarette packet of 10 sticks at the low-tier to Taka 50 from the existing Tk 39 while in the mid-tier, the price of cigarette packets should be raised Taka 75 from Taka 63. Side by side, Nadvy suggested for raising the price of cigarettes at the high-tier specifically. “If this proposal is implemented, the revenue of the government will be boosted while the number of smokers will be reduced by 13 lakh. Besides, some 9 lakh youths will be discouraged to continue smoking.” he added. Also read: Hike in tobacco prices demanded to curtail harm In his welcome address, deputy director of Dhaka Ahsania Mission Mokhlesur Rahman said that the government has already announced to turn Bangladesh as a smoking- free country by 2041 and to materialize this, there is no alternative to raising the duty on cigarettes and tobacco products. CTFK Grants manager Abdus Salama Mia said that it is very much necessary to control the use of tobacco in turning Bangladesh as a developed country. “This will not only help alleviating poverty, but also reduce the cost of the government in addressing the tobacco related diseases.” ERF general secretary SM Rashidul Islam said that the government is in dilemma over tobacco as it wants to control tobacco at one hand, and the government also depends on tobacco products for boosting revenue on the other hand. “But, in order to reduce the number of smokers, the price of cigarettes at the low-tier should be increased as around 75% smokers consume cigarettes at the low-tier.” he added.

VAT Intelligence seized nearly two lakh illegally manufactured cigarettes during a raid in Gazipur's Koultia Monday. The cigarettes were manufactured using fake tax stamps or band rolls, depriving the government of huge money, said the VAT Audit, Intelligence and Investigation Directorate officials after raiding Virgo Tobacco. Moinul Khan, VAT Intelligence director-general, said the factory had been manufacturing illegal cigarettes and evading tax for a long time.   READ: House approves bill to ban the sale of flavored e-cigarettes "On information, the VAT intelligence team raided the factory today and seized 199,000 sticks of cigarettes with fake band rolls. The illegally manufactured cigarettes were being sold to remote parts of Sylhet, Barishal and Cumilla," said Moinul. VAT Intelligence Deputy Director Tanvir Ahmed, who led the raid, said: "The factory was being operated in two shifts. During night shifts, illegal cigarettes were being manufactured. The government would suffer a revenue loss of Tk40 lakh if the seized cigarettes were sold to markets." The National Board of Revenue sources said 73% value added tax (VAT) and supplementary duty (SD) are imposed on cigarettes of the lower tier. The industry insiders said most companies are violating the law and evading taxes while manufacturing low tier cigarettes. READ: 150 cartons of contraband cigarettes seized at Sylhet airport VAT Intelligence officials said local markets are now being flooded with cigarettes of different illegal brands. Remote and underdeveloped regions are the biggest market for locally produced illegal cigarettes.

Scores of prominent doctors have urged the government to hike tobacco tax in the budget to protect public health. In a joint statement on Friday, initiated by Dhaka Ahsania Mission, 121 doctors said tobacco was involved in six of the eight leading causes of preventable death worldwide. The statement noted that cigarettes are very cheap and readily available in the market due to the multi-layered tax structure of cigarettes in Bangladesh depending on the features and brands. As a result, consumers are able to choose cheaper cigarettes instead of quitting, and the use of cigarettes has been relatively similar in recent years. The availability of tobacco products must be reduced through tax increases, said the doctors. Also read: Speakers want specific taxes imposed to increase price of tobacco products According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), tobacco users have a 57 percent higher risk of developing tobacco-related diseases such as heart disease, stroke, COPD or lung cancer, and a 109 percent higher risk of other tobacco-related cancers. According to the statement, more than 1,61,000 people die of tobacco-related diseases every year in Bangladesh.

Customs members seized 150 cartons of contraband cigarettes at Sylhet Osmani International Airport here on Saturday afternoon.

Caracas, Oct 26 (AP/UNB) — Motorists in socialist Venezuela have long enjoyed the world's cheapest gasoline, with fuel so heavily subsidized that a full tank these days costs a tiny fraction of a U.S. penny. But the economy is in such shambles that drivers are now paying for fill-ups with a little food, a candy bar or just a cigarette.