Experts from opposite sectors yesterday endorsed commanding aloft duties upon tobacco products as great as raising fines to forestall smoking in public.
They additionally advocated to house impressive warnings upon tobacco products as great as anathema civilised world as great as import of tobacco.
The recommendations came from a roundtable, patrician “Dangers of Tobacco: Way Forward”, mutually orderly by each day Prothom Alo during a discussion room with Management as great as Resources Development Initiative (MRDI) as great as National Tobacco Control Cell.
The speakers referred to which a supervision should lift a public-smoking excellent to Tk 500 from Tk 50.
“It’s hapless which a little of a lawmakers have been lobbying opposite a illusive taxation lift upon tobacco products fearing it competence have a supervision yet a friend as great as leave inauspicious outcome in a subsequent election,” pronounced Arup Ratan Chowdhury of Birdem Hospital.
Health Minister AFM Ruhal Haque, a arch guest of a roundtable, denied engaging any such lobbying. He pronounced his process has already sent a suggest to a monetary process to lift a duties upon tobacco products.
The speakers stressed which a supervision should deliver chartering complement for tobacco sale as great as practice a existent laws strictly.
Citing a 2004-study M Mostafa Zaman of World Health Organisation pronounced tobacco causes a republic a net of detriment of Tk 2,600 crore a year. The nation creates Tk 2,400 crore as income from tobacco-related businesses, whilst counts Tk 5,000 crore opposite tobacco-caused healthcare cost, he added.
Tobacco smoking has increasing by dual percent in 2009 from twenty-one percent in 2004, whilst expenditure of tobacco, (in most cases chewed) increasing by 7 percent.
Among others counsel ZI Khan Panna of a Supreme Court, National Prof as great as General Secretary of National Heart Foundation Brig Gen (retd) Abdul Malik, Iqbal Kabir of National Acid Control Cell, Farida Akhter of UBINIG, Nigar Nargis of Dhaka University, Kazi Rafiqul Alam of Dhaka Ahsania Mission as great as authorised consultant Tanjib-ul Alam additionally spoke in a roundtable.