Tobacco use a challenge in SDGs achievement: Akhter Hossain

Prime Minister's Principal Coordinator for SDG Affairs Md Akhter Hossain referred to the use of tobacco as one of the challenges in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

Akhter Hossain made the observation after a delegation team of 'Bangladesh Parliamentary Forum for Health & Wellbeing' and Shastho Shurokkha Foundation met him Thursday, reads  a press release.

He also commended the steps taken by the Members of Parliament regarding the amendment of the Tobacco Control Law. 

"It is crucial to build a tobacco-free Bangladesh by 2040, as declared by the Prime Minister, in order to attain the SDGs. In addition to amending the law, we should raise awareness among the future generations to control tobacco," said Akhter Hossain.

Executive Director Shastho Shurokkha Foundation Dr Nizam Uddin Ahmed and Director Prof Dr Md Rafiqul Islam provided the principal coordinator with reports that outlined the actions taken by parliamentarians to make Bangladesh a tobacco-free country. 

These actions included sending a letter of recommendation signed by 153 MPs to the Honorable Prime Minister, as well as another letter of recommendation signed by 152 MPs to the Health Minister, urging for amendments to the tobacco control law to protect public health. 

Furthermore, the 'Cox's Bazar Declaration' from the MPs Conference titled 'Achieving Tobacco Free Bangladesh by 2040 to Control Non-Communicable Diseases' was also acknowledged in the meeting. SDG Affairs Joint Secretary Md. Monirul Islam also highlighted the importance of the Tobacco Control Law amendment during the meeting. 

Executive Director of Shastho Shurokkha Foundation Dr Nizam Uddin Ahmed spoke about the importance of decreasing tobacco consumption to improve public health and reduce non-communicable diseases.

In Bangladesh, nearly 4 crore people use tobacco, which is extremely detrimental to public health. Tobacco-attributable diseases cause the deaths of approximately 161,000 people in the country annually. The proposed revision to the Smoking and Tobacco Control Act includes six provisions, such as prohibiting smoking in public areas, prohibiting the display of tobacco products at sales points, forbidding corporate social responsibility activities by tobacco companies, prohibiting the sale of individual cigarettes or small packs, highlighting the pictorial health warnings, and banning e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products (HTPs).

Shastho Shurokkha Foundation works as the secretariat of the Bangladesh Parliamentary Forum for Health and Wellbeing.