The Dhaka Ahsania Mission has taken an innovative initiative to strengthen tobacco control laws and increase public awareness through bus branding.
On Wednesday (December 17, 2013) Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Chief Executive Officer Mizanur Rahman inaugurated the bus at the DSCC Nagar Bhavan.
Dhaka South City Corporation Chief Health Officer Dr Fazle Shamsul Kabir, Dhaka Ahsania Mission Health and Wash Sector Director Iqbal Masood were present at that event.
The Dhaka Ahsania Mission has undertaken six different buses under its branding initiatives with different awareness messages to create public awareness and strengthen tobacco control laws by highlighting the dangers of tobacco consumption among common people. The buses will operate on different routes in the capital.
Chief guest Mizanur Rahman said that to inform the common people about the economic and health damage caused by tobacco, the publicity campaign should be increased.
He said all have to be aware from individual level against tobacco.
Dr Fazle Shamsul Kabir said that people should be informed about the economic damage caused by tobacco. Medical expenses due to various diseases due to tobacco use are 27 per cent more than the government's revenue from tobacco.
“Annual revenue from tobacco is about 22 thousand 810 cores taka and medical expenditure is about 30 thousand 570 crores taka. The annual loss due to tobacco is about 8 thousand crore taka,” he said.
He also said nowadays the young generation is getting more addicted to e-cigarettes. Banning e-cigarettes is a must to pull them out of this kind of addiction.
Dhaka Ahsania Mission Health and WASH Sector Director Iqbal Masud said that according to Tobacco Atlas 2018, 161,000 people die prematurely in Bangladesh every year, or 442 people a day, due to tobacco use-related diseases.
“Tobacco control laws must be strengthened now to protect public health and save lives,” he said.
