PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) and the Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA) have called for a complete ban on nicotine pouches in Bangladesh, expressing alarm over the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution's (BSTI) move to formulate standards for the product.
In a joint statement issued on Tuesday, the two organizations said the technical committee formed by BSTI includes representatives of tobacco companies but excludes the National Tobacco Control Cell (NTCC) and tobacco control organizations. They argued that the involvement of tobacco companies violates Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).
Nicotine pouches pose a serious threat to public health. Although tobacco companies promote these products as “relatively less harmful,” the World Health Organization (WHO) has clearly warned that, despite containing no tobacco leaf, nicotine pouches deliver high levels of nicotine. This highly addictive substance can impair brain development in children and adolescents and increase the risks of cardiovascular disease and other health complications. According to the WHO, adolescents and young adults are emerging as the largest consumers of these emerging tobacco products worldwide. To protect public health and prevent nicotine addiction among young people, at least 16 countries, including Singapore, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Russia, have already imposed complete ban on nicotine pouches.
Commenting on the issue, ABM Zubair, executive director of PROGGA, said: “Although the Ministry of Health had proposed a ban on nicotine pouches, it was not incorporated into the amended tobacco control law. Efforts are now under way to introduce and market the product in Bangladesh. Bangladesh should follow the example of other countries and impose a complete ban on nicotine pouches.”
It is noteworthy that Hon'ble Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has already unequivocally stated: “The government is firmly committed to protecting future generations, including children and adolescents, from the harmful effects of tobacco and nicotine.” According to PROGGA and ATMA, initiative of a government institution to formulate a national standard for nicotine pouches is fundamentally inconsistent with the prime minister’s declared position.