Staff Correspondent

The delay in finalizing the amendment of the Tobacco Control (TC) law is only reason for increasing the deaths and losses incurred by tobacco use. Anti-tobacco organization PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) and Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA) said on Monday during a journalists' workshop titled "Tobacco Control Law Amendment: Progress, Barriers, and Way Forward", held at the Conference Room of Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP).

peakers also urged the government to finalize the amendment as early as possible. A total of 30 journalists from print, television, and online media attended the workshop organized by PROGGA and ATMA.

It was informed during the workshop that with approval from the Cabinet, the amendment process will get one step closer towards finalization. The draft amendment includes proposals such as elimination of designated smoking areas (DSAs), banning so-called corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs of tobacco companies, banning display of tobacco products in points-of-sale, banning the sale of loose sticks and also banning e-cigarettes and other vaping products. The draft of the latest tobacco control law amendment, prepared by the Health Services Division of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, is based on global best practices.

Speakers said that despite incessant interference from tobacco industry, the prevalence of tobacco use is in decline all over the world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one in every three adults of the world used to be tobacco users in 2000. In 2022, the number became one in every five adults. However, 35.3 percent of adults in Bangladesh are still using tobacco which claims 161,000 lives every year. The Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has already declared her vision to transform Bangladesh into a tobacco-free country by 2040. There is no alternative to expediting tobacco control law amendment and keeping the process free of interference from the tobacco industry.

Among the discussants present in the journalists’ workshop were Dr. Maheen Malik, Regional Director South Asia Programs, Campaign for Tobacco-free Kids (CTFK), Md. Mostafizur Rahman, Bangladesh Lead Policy Advisor, CTFK, Zahirul Alam, Head of News, NTV, Liton Haider, Convenor, ATMA, Nadira Kiron and Mizan Chowdhury, both Co-convener, ATMA and ABM Zubair, Executive Director, PROGGA.