Smoking - a public health issue

Everyone is well aware that tobacco smoking is seriously detrimental to health. Scientists say that smoking is responsible for many acute diseases like cancer, heart disease, damage of liver, bronchitis etc. Treatment of all of the tobacco smoking-related diseases are costly and serious.

The Bangladesh Cancer Society conducted a research study on "Economic cost of tobacco use in Bangladesh: A health cost approach" on 10,000 families in all districts of the country in between July 2017 and April 2018. According to the study, tobacco usage causes 1,00,961 deaths every year in Bangladesh, and second-hand smoke causes 24,757 deaths. The economic loss due to the health hazards, from both direct tobacco usage and second-hand smoke, is about Tk 305.70 billion per year, this is 1.4 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP). This matter is related to public health. The authorities concerned should control the production of tobacco and at the same time should gradually prohibit smoking.

Md Zillur Rahaman

Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited

Lalmohan Branch, Bhola

[email protected]m