Interministerial coordination a must for tobacco-free Bangladesh: Speakers

Speakers at a programme on Wednesday emphasised stronger coordination among ministries concerned to stop ‘ill tactics’ of tobacco companies for building a tobacco-free Bangladesh by 2040.

They said tobacco companies display and promote their products taking advantage of loopholes in the Smoking and Usage of Tobacco Products (Control) Act (2005).

The participants said the companies enticed and induced restaurant owners to establish designated smoking areas and display advertisements for tobacco products.

The observations came at a programme titled ‘Big Tobacco apply ill tactics ‍and heavily incentivise to encourage the display of tobacco products’ at CIRDAP in Dhaka.

Former health minister and chairman for the parliamentary standing committee of science and technology, Prof Dr AFM Ruhal Haque urged an amendment to the existing tobacco control law and adding strict provisions to specifically ban product display and advertisement in point of sale. 

Parliamentarian Ashim Kumar Ukil said the provision of keeping designated places for smoking at restaurants should be repealed so that non-smokers, especially women and children, could be saved from second-hand smoking.

Lead Policy Advisor of Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids (CTFK) Mostafizur Rahman said that though advertisements and sponsorship are illegal in the law, banning product display at points of sale through the Tobacco Control Law amendment can help reduce this sort of violations.

The National Tobacco Control Cell coordinator, Hossen Ali Khandokar, said the health ministry was strengthening the tobacco control law and emphasised strong policy support in this regard.

Executive Director of VOICE Ahmed Swapan Mahmud moderated the event while journalist Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul presided over the function.

According to their findings, tobacco advertisements were displayed at designated smoking areas of 73 per cent of restaurants.

The rest had advertisements at the entrance/exit and near food service tables. Ads were displayed in multiple places.  

Sixty per cent of restaurants have signed written agreements with tobacco companies for displaying the advertisements, while 40 per cent has verbal contracts.