Non-government women's development organization Nari Maitree has called for strengthening the tobacco control law in Bangladesh.
The concerns were raised at a meeting organized by Nari Maitree at Bishwo Shahitto Kendro in Dhaka on Saturday afternoon.
National Tobacco Control Cell (NTCC) Coordinator (Additional Secretary) Hossain Ali Khondakar said: “Common people should be informed about the economic losses caused by tobacco. The revenue income is about Tk22,810 crore from tobacco and medical expenditure is about Tk30,570 crore. Cancer Survey-2018 Annual loss due to tobacco is around Tk8,000 crore. So besides removing the misconceptions of people, there is a need to strengthen the tobacco control laws. We all have to be aware of our position against tobacco.”
Associated Press Bureau Chief Julhas Alam said: “The initiative taken by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to bring further amendments to the Tobacco Control Act is undoubtedly a timely and people-friendly initiative. There is a danger that there will be various obstacles in the way of its transformation into law, especially against the amendment by the tobacco companies. They are creating confusion by spreading various misleading information through the media. Journalists should be very careful in this regard.”
Nari Maitree Executive Director Shaheen Akhtar Dolly said: “Nowadays, young people are increasingly becoming addicted to e-cigarettes. It's crucial to halt the marketing of e-cigarettes to help them break this addiction. Not only that, retail sales of cigarettes should also be ceased. Additionally, the size of pictorial health warnings on tobacco product packaging should be increased from 50% to 90%, and the display of tobacco products at points of sale should be stopped.”
Tobacco-Free Kids Bangladesh Campaign Programs Manager Abdus Salam Miah said: “Tobacco is a deadly substance, there are no words to defend its use. It wreaks havoc on the environment, economy, and health. According to the Tobacco Atlas 2018 report, some 161,000 people die annually in Bangladesh due to tobacco-related diseases, equating to 442 deaths per day. It's imperative to bolster tobacco control laws promptly to safeguard public health and save lives. Media professionals can play a pivotal role in expediting the reinforcement of these laws.”
Journalist Sohrab Hassan said: “People are losing their lives every day due to tobacco consumption. This all-encompassing invasion of tobacco is the greatest threat to our public health. We need to be more vocal about the dangers of tobacco. Besides, tobacco control laws should be strengthened by banning the activities of tobacco companies.”
Bangladesh Health Reporters' Forum (BHRF) President Rashed Rabbi said: “Tobacco is the biggest threat to public health. Various complex diseases including breathing problems, cancer, heart attack, and stroke are caused due to tobacco consumption. Non-smokers are exposed to secondhand smoke even without consuming tobacco. In that case, the tobacco control laws need to be strengthened.”
Shah Sheikh Majlish Fuad, director (Study and Training), Press Institute Bangladesh (PIB), Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said: “Diseases and deaths caused by tobacco are preventable and that is only possible if existing tobacco control laws are strengthened. So everyone's only demand is to strengthen the existing tobacco control laws to save the next generation.”
Nari Maitree Project Coordinator Nachreen Akhtar presented the keynote at the event. Journalists from home and international media were present at the exchange meeting.
