Matthew L Myers is President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, a leader in the fight to reduce tobacco use and its devastating consequences in the United States and around the world. In 1996, Myers helped to found the campaign and has been with it since. Initially, he served as its executive vice-president and legal counsel, and oversaw the campaign’s legal and advocacy efforts. On January 1, 2000, Myers became the president. Dhaka Tribune’s Abu Bakar Siddique talked to him on Friday, when he came to Dhaka to attend the South Asian Speakers Summit on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
PHOTO: RAJIB DHAR
How do you see the progress in tobacco control in Bangladesh over the last couple of years?
Tobacco control has taken a number of really important steps in recent years. Bangladesh is one of the first countries to ratify the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). In 2013, Bangladesh strengthened its law and took some steps forward, including future pictorial warning. It has also taken some steps to reduce affordability by imposing 1% surcharge to increase tobacco price. Perhaps the most important things now are what has happened and what needs to happen to go forward.
What should be Bangladesh’s tobacco control priority?
There are some very clear priorities for Bangladesh which could make an enormous difference. Firstly, Bangladesh has to implement its law effectively. It needs to implement the pictorial warning on the tobacco products, the deadline of which is March. However, there is substantial pressure from the tobacco companies to delay the implementation. This we have seen in every country. If the country actually stands against the use of tobacco, it will ultimately succeed. Bangladesh has dedicated specific funds to control tobacco use by educating its people about the damages tobacco can cause. In addition, the growing tobacco cultivation, which ultimately misuses the land, should be cut to ensure food security. Moreover, increasing tobacco tax would be the other tool to reduce use of tobacco.
Do you think increasing tobacco tax will work to reduce use of tobacco in Bangladesh?
Yes. Tobacco tax has worked in every place where it has been adopted and effectively implemented. It is critical as it is not just the imposition of tax, but it also develops a simple mechanism for enforcing, overseeing and ensuring that the tax is being paid at the earliest possible stage of the process.
The Bangladesh government has been increasing tobacco tax gradually over the last couple of years. However, it has not been able to force the tobacco companies, as some of them are the biggest taxpayers of the country. What should be done?
There is a myth that the tobacco companies are pretty good for the economy in a country. In fact, when you look at the health care cost, lost productivity and devastation to the environment from the growth of tobacco, you will see that tobacco increases poverty and decreases a country’s ability to grow into a better economy.
These countries that increased tobacco tax have substantially increased revenue and significantly cut use of tobacco across its population. One thing which is very important to understand, particularly among low income individuals: they consume tobacco but fail to fulfill the need of nutrition for their family and their children.
But I see very little possibilities of implementing the pictorial warning by March as the tobacco companies are already exerting pressure on the government to delay the process.
This is something we see in every country. At least 97 countries already have graphic warning, which cover at least 30% of the package of tobacco products. For example, in Sri Lanka, they now have graphic warning labels covering 80% of the packs despite legal challenges from the tobacco industries and repeated endeavours to corrupt the political system. Actually, it depends on political commitment. Here, political will is the key.
Implementing FCTC is considered one of the major targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). What does it really mean?
It’s totally impossible for Bangladesh to achieve SDG if it does not implement the FCTC fully. Without cutting the use of tobacco, the country will not be able to reduce the incidence of many diseases including diabetics, lung and heart diseases. And ensuring health for all is one of the major agendas of the SDG.
Ironically, in spite of all efforts from anti-tobacco activists like you and the governments, the tobacco companies have been expanding their business day by day, maybe at a better pace.
The challenge is great because the tobacco companies are fundamentally immoral and they have a lot of money. However, the reason why I am optimistic is that there is an increasing number of political leaders who recognise that the cultivation and use of tobacco increases poverty, and it is one of the barriers for achieving the SDGs since it clashes with the health care system.
You have been working on tobacco control for a long time. Tell us something from your experience about how to fight the mighty tobacco companies.
We know for over 50 years that tobacco is the leading cause of cancer and other serious diseases, but tobacco industries have not changed their behaviour. They have continued doing their business and causing many kinds of devastation.
We can still make progress and we have made progress around the world because more governments have stood against the tobacco companies. Even at the time of adopting the FCTC, tobacco sales was rising. But finally in 2013, the total sale of tobacco products across the world began to decline. So, my message is that if a government can take the issue seriously, things will change.
You are here in Dhaka to join the South Asian Speakers Summit on SDGs, which focuses on tobacco control. Do you think that such discussions among political leaders will bring any positive results?
I think it is a very positive sign that the leaders of the legislature of this region are coming together to talk on how to achieve the SDGs and the role of tobacco. It is very important for them to share and learn from each other. Their motivation could help in taking actions to curb tobacco usage in their own countries and save their own people from this disaster.