The World No Tobacco Day was observed in the country yesterday as elsewhere across the globe.
The theme of this year was “Raise taxes on tobacco.”
The government, different anti-tobacco, socio-cultural, health and other organisations observed the day with elaborate programmes.
The national programme was held at the Institution of Engineers in the capital in the morning.
Besides, the ADHUNIK, the nation’s first and leading anti-tobacco organisation founded by National Professor Dr Nurul Islam, organised a discussion at the Jatiya Press Club on Friday afternoon in this regard.
The global tobacco epidemic kills nearly 6 million people each year, of which more than 6 lakh are non-smokers dying from passive smoking, according to the World Health Organisation.
Unless any step is taken, the epidemic will kill more than 80 lakh people every year by 2030. More than 80% of these preventable deaths will be among the people living in low and middle income countries.