Tobacco use causes nearly 1,61,000 deaths each year in Bangladesh, highlighting the urgent need to amend the existing Tobacco Control Act, anti-tobacco campaigners said on Saturday.
At a press conference held at the Sagar-Runi Auditorium of Dhaka Reporters' Unity, 19 anti-tobacco organizations jointly urged the government to take immediate action to strengthen tobacco control laws.
The press conference was jointly organized by Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA), Aid Foundation, Bangladesh Cancer Society, BCCP, BER, Dhaka Ahsania Mission, DAS, DORP, Grambangla Unnayan Committee, MANAS, Nari Maitree, Natab, National Heart Foundation, PPRC, Pratyasha, Tabinaj, TCRC, WBB Trust and Progga.
Speakers said that tobacco is a major contributing factor in cardiovascular diseases, cancer and other non-communicable diseases (NDCs). Currently, 71% of all deaths in Bangladesh are caused by NCDs.
Against this backdrop, without strengthening the country's tobacco control laws, it is impossible for Bangladesh to achieve SDG Target 3.4 which is to reduce premature mortality from NCDs by one-third within 2030, they said.
Considering the overall negative consequences of tobacco use, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) in 2022 took the initiative to strengthen the tobacco control law in line with WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC).
They added that the draft amendment is currently going through the finalization phase by a high-powered Advisory Committee.
The draft contains proposals, including but not limited to: eliminating designated smoking areas (DSAs) in all public places and public transport, banning display of tobacco products at points-of-sale, banning corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs of tobacco companies, banning the sale of loose tobacco products, banning production, import and marketing of all kinds of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products (HTPs).
It was also informed that the tobacco industry has left no stone unturned to mislead policymakers and derail the amendment process.
Tobacco companies have repeatedly used fearmongering tactics by raising baseless claims, such as amendment may cause a reduction in government revenue inflow, loss of livelihoods, uptick in prevalence of smoking.
However, as per data provided by the National Board of Revenue (NBR), the previous two amendments of the tobacco control law, in 2005 and 2013, were followed by considerable and seamless increase in the country's revenue inflow.
Global experiences also refute claims made by the tobacco industry against the draft amendment.
For example, a total of 79 countries have already banned DSAs to safeguard its people from the harm of secondhand smoking.
Besides, to curb the prevalence of the use of e-cigarettes and vaping products, 42 countries, including neighboring Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and Singapore have already banned the sale and use of such products.
The number of countries where the sale of loose cigarette sticks is banned now stands at 118.
Such numbers show that the proposals incorporated in the draft amendment are indeed based on global best practices.
Strengthening tobacco control law may often lead to a reduction in the prevalence of tobacco use, as national experiences in Brazil and Turkey suggest.
This is why speakers at the event have urged policymakers not to get derailed by tobacco industry ill tactics and proceed with rapid amendment of the draft.