Every year on May 31, World No Tobacco Day reminds us that tobacco causes health problems that include sickness, pain, grief, and misery due to various diseases and involves many medical costs for the treatment. In addition to medical costs, there are other indirect costs including loss of productivity, fire damage, and environmental harm etc. The day is observed every year in the member countries with a theme selected by the WHO. The theme of the World No Tobacco Day for 2015 is 'Stop illicit trade of tobacco'. World No Tobacco Day provides an opportunity to create attention and action for all the partner countries, non-government organizations, and individuals in every community to work together for a tobacco-free environment that can ensure better health.
The global tobacco epidemic kills nearly 6 million poeple each year of which more than 600,000 are non-smokers dying from breathing second-hand smoke. Unless proper steps are taken, the epidemic will kill more than 8 million people every year by 2030 and more than 80% of these preventable deaths will be among people living in low and middle-income countries.
In Bangladesh, 43% of adults use some form of tobacco. Smokeless tobacco is used by 28% of women and 26% of men, whereas 45% of men and 1.5% of women smoke cigarettes. Some 57,000 people die every year from tobacco related diseases and 382,000 people suffer from diseases and disabilities due to use of tobacco. At this scenario, as a member country, Bangladesh will also observe the day in a befittig manner to materialze the WHO strategies and policies for the health benefit of the people.
Why innocent non-smokers will be vulnerable to the deadly habit of smoking: This is a question why at no fault of the non-smokers they will be vulnerable to the deadly habit of smoking. It is fact that non-smokers cannot be safe so long there are smokers around. In anyway if non-smokers happen to inhale the air polluted by tobacco smokers they run the same risk as the smokers do for having the adverse effect of smoking. This is called second-hand smoke. Second-hand smoke is the smoke that fills restaurants, offices or other compact spaces when people burn tobacco products such as cigarettes, bidis and water pipes. WHO facts reveal that there are more than 4000 chemicals in tobacco smoke of which at least 250 are known to be harmful and more than 50 are known to cause cancer. In adults, second-hand smoke causes serious cardiovascular and respiratory disease, including coronary heart disease and lung cancer. In infants, it causes sudden death and in pregnant women, it causes low birth weight. Almost half of children regularly breathe air polluted by tobacco smoke in public places. Over 40 per cent of children have at least one smoking parent. Tobacco users who die prematurely deprive their families of income, raise the cost of health care, and hinder economic development. As such, steps have been taken by various governments to protect the rights of the non-smokers. In our country non-smokers' rights have been protected in the tobacco control law.
Tobacco accelerates poverty: Tobacco and poverty create a vicious circle. Tobacco use is higher among the poor. Poor familires, in turn spend a larger proportion of their income on tobacco. Money spent on tobacco deprives the family of basic human needs such as food, shelter, education, and health care. Tobacco accelerates poverty among users and their families since tobacco users are at much higher risk of falling ill and dying prematurely of cancers, heart attacks, respiratory diseases or other tobacco-induced diseases.
Specific goals of the World No Tobacco Day 2015: Raise awareness on the harm to people's health caused by the illicit trade of tobacco products, show how health care gains and programmes, tobcco control policies like increased tax and prices, pictorial health warnings and other measures are undermined by the illicit trade in tobacco products, demonstrate how the tobacco industry is involved in the illicit trade of tobacco products, highlight how the illicit trade of tobacco products is a means of accumulating wealth for criminal groups to finance other organized crime activities including drugs, human and arms trafficking, as well as terrorism and hinder promote WHO framework convention on tobacco control.
Taxes help reduce tobacco use: WHO studies show that tobacco taxes are the most effective way to reduce tobacco use, especially among young people and poor people. A tax increase that increases tobacco prices by 10 per cent decreases tobacco consumption by about 4 per cent in high-income countries and by up to 8 per cent in low-and middle-income countries. Tax structure on cigarettes in Bangladesh is based on 4 stages, the lowest being 40% and the highest 60%. The supplementary duty/tax on bidis ranges between 20% and 25% depending on whether it has filter or not. In the last budget, it was sought to impose 1 per cent health development surcharge on all imported and domestically produced tobacco products for utilizing the fund collected from this source on the treatment of the victims of tobacco related diseases. This was a praiseworthy step, but it has to be higher and effectively introduced for the health and welfare of the people.
Revolutionary steps by the Government: Bangladesh Government is working seriously towards implementation of the tobacco control law, which resulted in passing of the Tobacco Control Amendment Bill by the Parliament in April 2013 over the many loopholes of previous law. This was an important step in the history of tobacco control movement in Bangladesh. The features of the law are: the scope of tobacco control measures have been extended to include smokeless tobacco products, graphic/pictorial health warnings, covering 50% of the surface, on both tobacco packet sides (also chewing tobacco and bidis) are included. The fine for smoking at public places or transports has been increased from 50 taka to 300 taka. Establishment of the National Tobacco Control Cell (NTCC) at the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare is a milestone, which works for the proper implementation of the law, monitor tobacco control activities, research on tobacco control and do related activities/actions on tobacco control for the health and welfare of the people.
Tobacco users need help to quit: WHO fact reveals that smokers who are aware of the dangers of tobacco, most of them want to quit the deadly habit. As nicotine exists in tobacco, it becomes difficult on the part of the smokers to quit. Nevertheless, counselling, cooperation from the near and dear ones, medication and various awareness measures can help a smoker to quit the habit.
The history of tobaco control movement in Bangladesh is glorious. With the establishment of NTCC (National Tobacco Control Cell) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the movement got strong footing. WHO theme, "Stop illicit trade of Tobacco" on the day is an opportunity for all involved in tobacco control programme. Different NGOs, health personnel, policymakers, social workers, academic institutions, and individuals are working towards a tobacco-free environment. We have many achievements in this regard. Nevertheless, we have to work against tobacco until the last victory. Working together, we shall be able to quit tobacco for a safe and healthy life for all.
M A Jabbar writes on health and environment issues and is executive secretary of ADHUNIK, national anti-tobacco organisation of Bangladesh
Give up tobacco for a safe and healthy life
M A Jabbar | Published: May 30, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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