Experts urge govt to bring vapes, nicotine pouches under tobacco control law
Speakers said nearly 71% of all deaths in Bangladesh are caused by NCDs with tobacco and nicotine products remaining among the leading preventable risk factors.
Health experts have urged the government to amend tobacco control framework to include e-cigarettes, vapes, nicotine pouches and other emerging nicotine products.
The regulatory gap could undermine efforts to reduce deaths from non-communicable diseases (NCDs), they warned at a roundtable titled "Tobacco Control, NCDs and SDGs: Bangladesh's Progress and Way Forward" today (8 September).
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Speakers said nearly 71% of all deaths in Bangladesh are caused by NCDs with tobacco and nicotine products remaining among the leading preventable risk factors.
They warned that achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of reducing premature NCD deaths by one-third would be difficult without stronger legislation.
The discussion noted that tobacco-related diseases kill around 2 lakh people in Bangladesh each year, making tobacco use a major barrier to SDG 3 on health and broader goals covering poverty, food security, education, gender equality and environmental protection.
A major concern raised at the event was that while the government has recently amended the tobacco control law, the final version does not cover e-cigarettes, vapes, nicotine pouches and other new-generation tobacco and nicotine products.
Speakers described the omission as a serious public health concern and called for urgent legal measures to regulate the products before their use becomes more widespread, particularly among young people.
They also urged the government to formulate the implementing rules of the amended law without delay and to enforce Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) to protect public health policies from tobacco industry interference.
The event was organised by Progga and the Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance at the Cirdap Auditorium in Dhaka.
National Professor Dr Mahbub Ullah, who chaired the event as chief guest, said tobacco control is closely linked to development, economy, and the wellbeing of future generations.
"Translating political and institutional commitments into effective action will accelerate Bangladesh's progress towards achieving the SDGs," he said.
Professor Dr Golam Mohiuddin Faruque, president of the Bangladesh Cancer Society, said the suffering of cancer patients reflects the devastating consequences of tobacco use.
Media leaders also emphasised the role of journalism in advancing tobacco control. Zahirul Alam, executive director of Channel 24, said the media can build public awareness and support effective implementation of the law, while Reaz Ahmad, editor of Dhaka Tribune, called for greater coverage linking tobacco control with the fight against NCDs and the SDGs.
