Anti-tobacco platform PROGGA stressed the need of imposing increased amount of tax on tobacco, better exposure of the caveat and the graphics demonstrating health risks on cigarette packets.
The platform also demanded a ban on smoking in public areas including public transport in a statement issued ahead of the World No Tobacco Day on May 31.
A bigger presentation of the graphics depicting health hazards of smoking is demanded by PROGGA so that the number of smokers dwindles substantially, according to a press release issued on Sunday.
On the occasion of the World No Tobacco Day 2021, ABM Zubair, Executive Director of PROGGA said, “The poor demography is predominantly more price sensitive. Once the prices of tobacco and tobacco products are exorbitantly hiked, it will decrease tobacco use, tobacco-related diseases, deaths and other losses. Tax hike may be a good anti-tobacco measure.”
According to the press release, tobacco is one of the major factors contributing to lung and cardiovascular diseases.
Tobacco users are two to four times more likely to get a heart attack and stroke than nonsmokers. Tobacco also causes irreparable damage to one’s family and surroundings. As per 2017 Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) of World Health organization (WHO), currently 38.4 million people in Bangladesh face passive smoking in work, transport and other public places on a regular basis.
The use of tobacco causes around 126,000 deaths in Bangladesh a year. The financial loss for treatment cost and productivity reduction due to tobacco consumption exceeds Tk 30,560 crore a year, according to the press release.
