Tobacco companies desperate to make 49% youths addict

Tobacco companies are desperately trying to make 49% of the young population of Bangladesh addicted to drugs such as tobacco, the Association for the Prevention of Drug Abuse (Manas) has alleged.

They also said  the government's stake in tobacco companies created obstacles to attaining the target of a "tobacco-free Bangladesh". They stressed the need for including tobacco control in the SDG agenda, stopping tobacco farming to address food shortages, and suggested protecting the youths who have not yet started smoking.

Photo: Courtesy

Their calls came during a meeting with the team of Manas led by Dr Arup Ratan Chowdhury and Principal Coordinator for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Zuena Aziz on Sunday at latter's office. 

During the meeting, Dr Arup said more than 1.61 lakh people die yearly from tobacco-related diseases, while more than 4 lakh become disabled. Around Tk30,570  crore are spent on the health sector. 

He also said tobacco is a major obstacle to achieving the environmental protection and sustainable development goals set by the United Nations. 

The government is making serious efforts to control tobacco, he added. 

Moreover, the draft law contains several proposals, including the ban on retail and mobile tobacco products and sales, abolition of 'smoking areas in public places, transport, and ban on corporate social responsibility (CSR) and e-cigarettes, said Dr Arup, adding: a total of 168 members of the parliament have given their support in favour of the law. If the law is amended, Bangladesh will move towards achieving the SDGs.

Advocate Syed Mahbubul Alam requested the SDG coordinator to take necessary initiatives to give more importance to tobacco control in achieving the SDGs. 

Zuena Aziz said, "Once you start smoking, it is difficult to stop. Therefore, preventing children, adolescents and young people from tobacco and other harmful drugs is the right approach." 

She also said that smoking was often observed on public transport, but now the situation is different.