Standard packaging essential to control smokeless tobacco products: Experts
Experts emphasised the need for standard packaging of smokeless tobacco products to contain its harmful impact on public health.
About 84% of the packets of smokeless tobacco products in Bangladesh do not have proper pictorial health warnings. If they contain the warnings, they are not compliant with the regulations, said speakers at a workshop titled 'Policies to address smokeless tobacco control in Bangladesh" on Monday (5 September).
ARK Foundation, the University of York, and the Health Economics Research Network (HERN) jointly organised the workshop at Six Seasons Hotel in the capital on Monday (5 September), according to a press release.
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And 30% of packets don't have any health warnings at all. But in our neighboring country India, this rate is only 7%. They also said that 16% of TB patients in Bangladesh consume tobacco products. Hence, if tobacco consumption is controlled, it will play an important role in controlling tuberculosis.
About 22 million people currently consume smokeless tobacco in Bangladesh which is about 58% of total tobacco users. However, considering their harmful effects on public health, smokeless tobacco products are not given as much importance as are given in controlling the consumption of cigarettes and bidis.
Professor of Global Public Health of the Department of Health Sciences of the University of York, Kamran Siddiqui presented the keynote speech at the event.
He stated that, among other countries of the world, Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan have exceptionally high rates of use and prevalence of smokeless tobacco. Although the rate of cigarette and bidi users has decreased slightly in Bangladesh in the last few years, the rate of smokeless tobacco consumers has remained almost unchanged. Therefore, it is high time to give special focus to this sector.
He made some recommendations to control the use of smokeless tobacco products. Such as removing flavours, restricting TSNAs, setting standards and monitoring their contents; introducing licensing for retail sales and viable alternatives, enforcing a strict ban on online/social media advertising, and empowering communities to enforce bans on the sale to anyone under the legal age, and increase tax frequently and greater than cigarettes with a minimum floor price that equals to a 20-stick cigarette pack.
Former Director General of Medical Education Department, Professor AHM Enayet Hossain presided over the event, and Director of National TB Control Programme, professor Dr. Shakil Ahmed was present as chief guest. National Professional Officer of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Syed Mahfuzul Huq; former director of primary health care of the Directorate of Healthcare Services, Dr. Khaleda Islam; former chairman of the National Board of Revenue, Dr. Nasir Uddin Ahmed; and Project Director and Joint Secretary of Bangladesh Cancer Society, Professor Dr. Golam Mohiuddin Faruque and Technical Consultant of International Organization The Union, Advocate Syed Mahbubul Alam Tahin were present as panel discussants. The program was moderated by the Executive Director of ARK Foundation and Professor of Economics of the University of Dhaka, Rumana Huque.
