Govt urged to take step to stop tobacco supply chain

ADHUNIK (We Prevent Smoking), a national anti-tobacco organisation, on Tuesday urged the government to take steps to stop tobacco cultivation and its supply chain in the country, aiming to protect public health from its adverse impacts, reports UNB.
ADHUNIK made the call when a six-member delegation of the anti-tobacco organisation, led by its president Amanullah Khan (also chairman of the United News of Bangladesh), met industries minister Amir Hossain Amu at the ministry office on Tuesday afternoon.
During the meeting, the delegation placed a 15-point proposal on tobacco control to the industries minister ahead of the World No Tobacco Day to be observed on May 31 next.
Responding to a demand, the minister told the delegation that his ministry would soon issue a circular banning smoking by officials, staff and workers of all factories and industries inside their workplaces.
Amir Hossain Amu also assured ADHUNIK delegation that his ministry would consider their proposals and take necessary action.
ADHUNIK president called upon the industries minister to stop all new investment and new tobacco product development in tobacco industry, citing a recent case of signing an MoU between a local tobacco company and an international tobacco giant.
He suggested the industries ministry should also impose a ceiling on production of cigarettes and bidis in the country as a first step to fight the tobacco menace.
Mr Khan lamented that the tobacco industry under the garb of CSR is indirectly promoting its brand and polishing up its image in a big way.
The government should move on a fast track to replace tobacco cultivation with essential food and cash crops, and adopt other policy measures in public health interest, he added.
The challenges of implementing the Smoking & Tobacco Products Usage (Control) (Amendment) Act 2013, should be met by a joint effort of the ministries concerned, anti-tobacco organisations and all other stakeholders in which the media can play a vital role by creating and raising awareness among the public against tobacco use, the anti-tobacco activist said.
The ADHUNIK proposals, which were placed to the industries minister, include taking necessary steps to fully implement the amended anti-tobacco act, undertaking appropriate action towards stopping illicit trade in tobacco products, raising tax on all forms of tobacco, providing soft loan to farmers to enable them to switch to alternative crop cultivation, adopting comprehensive measures to prevent tobacco companies' interference in public health polices, and making it mandatory for the tobacco companies to disclose the main ingredients in particular the carcigenius and toxic used in tobacco products.
ADHUNIK executive secretary MA Jabbar, social welfare secretary Dr Neena Islam, and members Ali Neyamat, Abdus Sattar and Umme Salema were also present at the meeting.