tobacco control law
Tobacco kills 1.61 lakh annually in Bangladesh, experts say
Mentioning that some 1.61 lakh people die every year due to tobacco consumption in Bangladesh, speakers at a seminar said the media should play a crucial role in countering the manipulative tactics of the tobacco industry.
These issues were highlighted at a discussion meeting titled "Amending the Tobacco Control Law to Protect Non-Smokers and Youth: The Role of Media in Countering Industry Interference", held in the capital on Monday.
The National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh organised the event.
Ignoring this alarming death toll, tobacco companies obstruct amendments to the tobacco control law by emphasising revenue concerns, said speakers.
In Bangladesh, 71% of total deaths are caused by non-communicable diseases and tobacco use is a major preventable cause of these deaths.
Presided over by Professor Dr. Khondker Abdul Awal Rizvi, President of the organisation, Prof. Dr. Sohel Reza Choudhury, Head of the Department of Epidemiology and Research, presented the keynote speech.
The National Heart Foundation said that approximately 38.4 million adults in Bangladesh are exposed to secondhand smoke in public places and public transport, despite being non-smokers.
The current interim government has taken steps to amend the existing tobacco control law to protect non-smokers.
However, since this initiative began, tobacco companies have attempted to create obstacles by lobbying the Ministries of Finance and Law, falsely claiming that the amendment would reduce revenue and employment opportunities.
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Meanwhile, an analysis of National Board of Revenue (NBR) data reveals that after the enactment of the Tobacco Control Act in 2005, cigarette tax revenue increased by 17.97% and 37.52% in the following two fiscal years.
Similarly, after the 2013 amendment, cigarette tax revenue increased by 25.51% and 46.52% in the next two fiscal years.
Besides, data from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) 2021 indicates that the number of retail shops selling food, beverages and tobacco products is only 196,341 and these shops primarily sell other goods along with tobacco products.
This refutes the misleading claim that amending the law would lead to massive job losses.
Journalists attending the event emphasized that young people are the future of the nation, yet they remain a primary target of tobacco companies’ aggressive marketing strategies.
To protect the youth, social awareness must be strengthened alongside urgent amendments to the tobacco control law.
When speaking, Prof. Dr. Rizvi said that more than 61,000 children suffer from diseases caused by secondhand smoke.
Expose tobacco industry’s deceptive tactics to safeguard public health: Experts
Besides, due to the lack of stringent laws, 6.9% of adolescents aged 13 to 15 use tobacco products, he said.
He also urged the government to quickly pass the proposed amendments to safeguard young people and prevent avoidable deaths.
It is worth mentioning that to align the existing law with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and bring it up to global standards, the Ministry of Health has proposed several key amendments.
These include banning designated smoking areas in all public places and public transport; prohibiting the display of tobacco products at points of sale; completely banning corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities by tobacco companies; Increasing the size of health warnings on tobacco packaging from 50% to 90%; Banning the sale of loose cigarettes, unwrapped tobacco products, and smokeless tobacco products in bulk, and prohibiting e-cigarettes and all emerging tobacco products entirely.
Former BCIC Chairman Md. Mostafizur Rahman and several senior journalists from leading media outlets attended the programme.
22 hours ago
Doctors demand amendment to Tobacco Control Law
Doctors on Thursday called for an amendment to the Tobacco Control Law to reduce Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), which are majorly caused by tobacco use, including heart disease, stroke, and chronic respiratory diseases.
Over 161,000 premature deaths in Bangladesh occur each year due to tobacco, all of which are preventable. To address this, the draft amendment proposed by the Ministry of Health must be passed immediately, they said at a seminar
The seminar titled “Progress on Amendments to Tobacco Control Law and Engagement of Physicians in Building a Tobacco-Free Bangladesh” was held at the CIRDAP Auditorium National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh organised it.
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Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter was present as the chief guest at the event.
Tobacco use is more prevalent in Bangladesh due to affordability, and stricter laws and taxes are needed. Tobacco companies resist legal and tax reforms, making prompt action crucial, she said.
National Heart Foundation Secretary General Prof Fazila-Tun-Nesa Malik presided over the seminar. Prof Dr. Sohel Reza Choudhury, head of Epidemiology and Research if the foundation derlivered the keynote address.
The amendment aligns with the World Health Organisation’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and includes key changes such as: banning smoking areas in public places and transport; prohibiting the display of tobacco products at points of sale; fully banning tobacco companies' CSR activities; increasing graphic health warnings on tobacco packaging from 50% to 90%; banning the sale of loose cigarettes and single sticks; and imposing a complete ban on e-cigarettes and emerging tobacco products.
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Professor Choudhury said that 37.8 million adults in Bangladesh use tobacco, and 38.4 million non-smokers are exposed to secondhand smoke in public spaces. The interim government has formed an advisory council to amend the Tobacco Control Law to protect public health.
Dhaka Divisional Commissioner Sharf Uddin Ahmed Choudhury remarked that the government must protect public health to meet the SDG Target 3.4 of reducing premature NCD-related deaths by one-third by 2030.
Professor Malik pointed out the negative impact of nicotine on children's brain development, underscoring the need for law amendments to safeguard the next generation.
Speakers from various health and advocacy organisations, as well as medical students, were present at the programme, among others.
1 week ago
World No Tobacco Day tomorrow
PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress), an anti-tobacco platform, on Sunday demanded to introduce Specific Taxes and amend Tobacco Control Law, with World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) being observed on Monday around the globe. This year the theme of WNTD is: Commit to quit.
Abstaining from tobacco use for a whole year decreases the risk of coronary heart disease to about half that of a smoker. Within 10 years of quitting, the risk of lung cancer falls to about half that of a smoker. Compared to those who continue tobacco use, those who quit at about 30-40 years of age, gain almost 9-10 years of life expectancy
Tobacco is one of the major contributing factors to lung and cardiovascular diseases. Tobacco users are two to four times more likely to get heart disease (heart attack and stroke) than nonsmokers. Tobacco, responsible for 25 percent of all cancer deaths globally, is linked to at least 20 cancer types. Particularly, lung cancer risk is around 25 times higher in tobacco users compared with those who have never smoked. About 80% of all COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) is caused by cigarette smoking and smokers are 13 times more likely to die from COPD than non-smokers. Smokers face a 40 – 50 percent higher risk of developing severe disease and death from COVID-19, says WHO.
READ: Experts frustrated at NBR's role as calls for specific taxes on tobacco go unheeded
Tobacco also causes irreparable damage to one’s family and surroundings. As per the 2017 Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) of World Health organization (WHO), currently 38.4 million people in Bangladesh face secondhand smoking in work, transport and other public places on a regular basis. About 40.8 million (39%) Bangladeshis are exposed to passive smoking at home, with the majority being women. A recent study conducted among school children of Dhaka has found out that 95 percent of school-going children have higher nicotine in their saliva samples which is undoubtedly a result of passive smoking.
The use of tobacco causes around 126,000 deaths in Bangladesh a year. The financial loss (due to medical expenditure and loss of productivity) incurred per year due to tobacco use exceeds BDT 30,560 crore. A matter of particular concern is that currently the lowest income people have a much higher rate (48%) to use tobacco than the highest earning class (24%).
Between 2009 and 2017, the average monthly expenditure for bidi has increased by 50% for each individual smoker. Currently, a cigarette smoker spends on average BDT 1077.7 per month for cigarettes. On the contrary, the average monthly expenditure for education and health of a household is only BDT 835.7 and 700 respectively (Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2016). If the money spent on tobacco could be channeled into spending for education, health or the fight against human poverty, the economic condition of families could be radically improved.
On the occasion of the World No Tobacco Day 2021, ABM Zubair, Executive Director of PROGGA said, the poor demographic is predominantly more price sensitive. Once prices of tobacco products are increased, it decreases the use of tobacco, tobacco-related diseases and deaths and other losses. So, increasing taxes on tobacco is a pro-poor measure.
Most importantly, to achieve a tobacco-free Bangladesh by 2040, cigarettes and other tobacco products need to be brought out of the purchasing capacity of the masses through the imposition of specific taxes.
READ: Doctors for raising tobacco tax to protect public health
In addition, measures such as removing the provision of “designated smoking area”, banning smoking in all public places, work spaces, and public transport, banning the display of tobacco products at points of sale, banning ‘corporate social responsibility’ activities of tobacco companies, banning the sale of single sticks and unpackaged smokeless tobacco, banning the sale and import of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, and allowing stricter rules on packaging including increases to the size of graphic health warnings- should be adopted and implemented through an amendment of tobacco control law.
3 years ago
Anti-tobacco lobby wants stricter measures introduced through legislation
In a bid to ensure fully smoking-free environment, two anti-tobacco advocacy organisations –-PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) and Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA)— on Monday proposed that the ban on smoking be extended to all public places, workplaces and public transport, including abolishment of ‘designated smoking zones’ provided in public places and work places.
4 years ago
Amend existing law to build tobacco-free Bangladesh
Participants at a workshop on Thursday urged the government to amend the existing tobacco control law immediately to build a tobacco-free Bangladesh by 2040.
4 years ago
Ex-VC of DU supports push for stronger anti-tobacco law
Former Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University Professor Dr A A M S Arefin Siddique has said the current tobacco control law requires some amendment along with some additions to save the people from consuming such a toxic product like tobacco as well as to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
4 years ago