A human chain carrying symbolic corpses was held Saturday where speakers voiced their demands for immediate finalisation of the tobacco control law amendment.
The event held in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka was jointly organised by PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress), Anti-tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA), 'Pratyasha' anti drug's club, and Dhumpan Madok Durniti Birodhi Foundation.
Speakers said that tobacco-related illness claim around 1,61,000 lives each year in Bangladesh. The longer policymakers delay the finalisation of TC law, the larger tobacco's trail of deaths grows.
Following the human chain, organisers also submitted a memorandum to the Secretary of the Health Services Division.
Speakers also informed at the event that currently, the prevalence of tobacco use stands at 35.3 per cent of the adult population (37.8 million). Tobacco-induced deaths and diseases alone cost the economy of Bangladesh around BDT 305.6 billion a year, an amount that is much higher than the revenue generated from this sector.
Realising the extent of tobacco's devastation, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina voiced her commitment to building a tobacco-free country by 2040 and in 2016, provided a directive to amend tobacco control law in line with Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC).
The latest amendment proposal contains several global best practices including eliminating Designated Smoking Areas (DSAs), outlawing so-called corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs of tobacco companies, increasing the area allotted for graphic health warning (GHW) to 90 per cent from the existing 50 per cent, banning the sale of loose sticks, banning the display of tobacco products, and also banning e-cigarettes and other vaping products.
Representatives from Shastho Surokkha Foundation, TCRC, DORP, National Heart Foundation, NATAB, Dhumpan Madok Durniti Birodhi Foundation, Dhaka Ahsania Mission, and many other anti-tobacco organisations participated at the event organised with support from Campaign for Tobacco-free Kids (CTFK).
