Lawmakers, public health experts, doctors, economists and anti-tobacco activists have called for early finalization of amendments to the tobacco control law to protect public health.
He made the call during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s discussion on the vision, achievements and way forward for a tobacco-free Bangladesh by 2040.
Campaign for Tobacco-Free Children, PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress), National Heart Foundation, Shasto Shurokha Foundation, Dhaka Ahsania Mission, DORP and Unnayan Shamnai organized the discussion at a hotel in Dhaka on Monday, according to a statement by the organisers. .
Speakers in the discussion said that the government’s anti-tobacco activities have resulted in an 18.5 percent reduction in tobacco use in 2017 compared to 2009.
While this reduction in tobacco use in such a short time reflects the success of the government, it is not enough to achieve a tobacco-free Bangladesh by 2040.
Due to some loopholes in tobacco control law, such as provision of designated smoking areas in public places and transport, display of tobacco products at sales points, corporate social responsibility activities of tobacco companies, open sale of tobacco products and sale of new types of e-cigarettes In the case of tobacco products including tobacco, the law has been unable to play an effective role in reducing tobacco use.
Currently, the prevalence of tobacco use is 35.3 percent or 37.8 million of the adult population. Tobacco kills 161,000 people in Bangladesh every year. Millions of people fall ill and suffer from various types of disabilities due to the use of tobacco.
Tobacco deaths and injuries will continue to rise as long as enforcement of tobacco use through legislative amendments is delayed.