Revision to Tobacco Control Act suggested****
May 15, 2011 00:00:00
Leaders of Bangladesh Anti-Tobacco Alliance (BATA) today suggested that the government take immediate steps to revise the Tobacco Control Act by imposing high tax on cigarettes and bidis to check smoking and its use, reports BSS.
Speaking at a roundtable at Dhaka Reporters' Unity (DRU) auditorium, they pointed out that tobacco companies are carrying out different confusing campaigns in an attempt to weaken the anti-tobacco policy.
BATA Coordinator Saifuddin Ahmed presided over the roundtable, which was addressed, among others, by Anti-tobacco Women Alliance Farida Akhter, chairman of Human Rights and Legal Education of Bangladesh Bar Council ZI Khan Panna and Secretary General of Pratyasha, an NGO and Helal Ahmed spoke on the occasion.
The speakers said there is no alternative to increase the tax on tobacco to minimize its use and increase the government revenue, said a BATA press release.
Terming the bidi companies' claim that 2.5 million (25 lakh) workers in the bidi industry will lose jobs as baseless, they said rather their appointment as labour is tantamount to the violation of the Labour Law.
The growing tobacco cultivation might hamper the country's food security as the tobacco cultivation areas are on the rise, they observed.
As many as three independent surveys in the city indicated that the number of tobacco users is growing with new consumers being children and young girls.
At present, Bangladesh is one of the highest tobacco using countries in the world as around 43.3 per cent adult use tobacco and tobacco products while around 27.2 per cent use smokeless tobacco. About 42 million people in the country are exposed to passive smoking in public places.
About 10 per cent of the world's tobacco users are in Bangladesh and the tobacco users have increased by 7.5 per cent in five years from 2004 to 2009.
According to a report, more than 57,000 people die of tobacco-related diseases and some 16 per cent of all deaths among the people aged 30 and above are attributed to tobacco use.
