Health bodies urge swift amendment of tobacco control act to prevent premature deaths
The statement underscores the growing burden of non-communicable diseases, which account for 71% of all deaths in Bangladesh.
The National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Lung Foundation, and Bangladesh Cancer Society today (8 December) issued a joint statement calling the "Tobacco Control Act" the only effective measure to protect public health.
The statement underscores the growing burden of non-communicable diseases, which account for 71% of all deaths in Bangladesh.
Research by the Bangladesh Cancer Society shows that around 15 lakh adults suffer from tobacco-related illnesses annually.
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Second-hand smoke kills roughly 25,000 people each year and adversely affects nearly 61,000 children.
Citing a study by Johns Hopkins University, the organizations highlighted the economic imbalance of tobacco consumption: in the 2023–24 fiscal year, government revenue from tobacco reached Tk40,000 crore, while the health and environmental costs of tobacco use soared to Tk84,000 crore—more than double the revenue.
The joint statement also criticised tobacco companies for spreading misinformation since the interim government initiated the process to amend the Tobacco Control Act, allegedly to protect commercial interests.
The organisations urged that all designated smoking areas in public spaces and on public transport be eliminated to protect non-smokers.
They called for a ban on the display of tobacco products at points of sale and demanded that tobacco companies be prohibited from engaging in corporate social responsibility activities.
Measures should also be implemented to protect children and adolescents from the harmful effects of e-cigarettes, while the retail and loose sale of tobacco products must be stopped.
In addition, they recommended that pictorial health warnings on tobacco packaging should be increased from 50% to 90% to effectively warn consumers.
The statement was signed by Prof Dr Khandakar Abdul Awal Rizvi, president of the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh; Prof Dr Golam Mohiuddin Faruque, president of the Bangladesh Cancer Society; and Dr Asif Mujtaba Mahmud, secretary general of the Bangladesh Lung Foundation.
