One-third of cancer cases can be prevented if people quit smoking, according to health experts.
They made the call at a discussion on “Tobacco and Cancer” organized by the National Institute of Cancer Research and Hospital (NICRH) at the National Press Club on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day on Tuesday.
Prof Kamrul Hasan Khan, former vice-chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, said: "Tobacco control has become very urgent at this moment. Tobacco use is responsible for a variety of diseases, including cancer.”
"Even though there is a tobacco control law, it is important to implement it properly. Besides, farmers need to be made aware to discourage tobacco production,” he added.
He urged the youth to stay away from smoking.
Prof Amirul Morshed, additional director general of the Directorate General of Medical Education (DGME), said: "The risk of cancer increases in families who smoke and use tobacco. The world will be tobacco-free only if we stay away from smoking.”
Prof Swapan Kumar Bandopadhyay, director of the NICRH, said: “A mother's womb is a world for a child. So if someone in the family smokes, it has an effect on the unborn baby. Nobody should smoke or consume tobacco in order to stay safe.”
“Tobacco products are being produced by destroying forests. If the government is not tough on tobacco production, it will increase,” he observed.