Tobacco use and drugs barrier to productive power of youths: Experts

Terming tobacco as a gateway to drugs, experts have called for saving the country's youths for the sake of building Smart Bangladesh.

Smoking can provoke the youths to take to the path of drug use. Direct or indirect advertisements of tobacco products in mass media (cinema, TV drama and web series) are motivating youths to smoking. If it goes on, it can damage the productive capacity of the future generation.

The remarks were made at a discussion titled "Obligation of smoking scenario in cinema and effectiveness of law," jointly organised by anti-tobacco organisation "Manas" and Department of Film and Publication, held in Dhaka recently, said a news release.

While presenting the keynote paper, Umme Jannat, project coordinator of Manas, said Smoking and Use of Tobacco Products (Control) Act 2005 prohibits the use of advertisement on tobacco products in mass media, but the restriction is being ignored.

Golam Mohiuddin Faruk, president of Bangladesh Cancer Society, Nuzhat Yeasmin, managing director of Bangladesh Film Development Corporation, Anti-tobacco campaigner Advocate Syed Mahbubul Alam, SM Golam Kibria, director general of DFP, and Dr Arup Ratan Chowdhury, founder president of Manas, also spoke, among others.