The World No Tobacco Day is being observed in the country as else where across the globe today highlighting the health risks associated with tobacco use and advocating for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption.
The theme of this year's the World No Tobacco day is "Raise Taxes on Tobacco".
An elaborate programme has been chalked out to observe the day across the country in a befitting manner.
The programme included bringing out a colourful procession from Jatiya Press Club premises at 8am in the capital. Later, a discussion would be held at the Institute of Engineers, Bangladesh at 10am.
Besides, three eminent personalities would be awarded the "World No Tobacco Day Award-2014" for their outstanding contribution to tobacco control activities.
Marking the day, different non-government organizations and socio-cultural bodies have also organised separate programmes to raise mass awareness against tobacco consumption.
Meanwhile, President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gave separate messages on the eve of the day.
According to World Health Organisation (WHO), the global tobacco epidemic kills nearly 6 million people each year in the world, of which, more than 600,000 are non-smokers dying from breathing second-hand smoke.
If the trend is continued, the epidemic will kill more than 8 million people every year by 2030. More than 80% of these preventable deaths will be among people living in low-and middle- income countries, the WHO said.
Besides, more than 57,000 people in Bangladesh die and more 3.82 lakh people become physically retarded every year due to tobacco related diseases, revealed a study carried out by WHO in 2004.
But, Secretary of Anti-Tobacco Jote Advocate Mahbub Alam said yesterday the mortality rate due to tobacco consumption in Bangladesh has already been surpassed one lakh annually. He said the number of smokers in the country was 37% in 2004 and currently it rose to 43%.