Involve student community with anti-tobacco activism: M R Khan

National Professor Dr M R Khan on Saturday suggested that school and college students should be involved with the movement to contain the tobacco menace by arming them with adequate knowledge about the health risks it poses. They should be prepared first so that they in turn can pass on the knowledge to the vulnerable groups - the poor and the young, reports UNB.
The eminent paediatrician made the appeal at a discussion programme on WHO theme 'Stop Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products' jointly organised by ADHUNIK (We Prevent Smoking), a national anti-tobacco organisation, and WHO at the Jatiya Press Club.
Noting that smoking and consumption of tobacco products cause respiratory problems, neurological disorders, kidney damages and brain stroke, Prof Dr MR Khan said the treatment of the tobacco-related diseases is very costly, though tobacco is a leading preventable cause of death and diseases.
He stressed that the will and determination of smokers is enough to give up the habit. As proof of this, he said during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan Muslims fast the whole day from dawn to dusk, refraining from smoking, drinking and taking food, which demonstrates that the smokers have the power to quit smoking.
He expressed the hope that the illicit trade in tobacco products in the country would be stopped through concerted efforts of all.
ADHUNIK President Amanullah Khan said in his address because of the illicit trade involving tax evasion, tobacco products are available for sale on the market at cheaper prices which allure and attract especially the young and low-income people. At the same time this type of trade leads to reduction of government revenue.
The money so stolen by tobacco companies ends up in the hands of organised criminal syndicates, drug and human traffickers and terrorists.
"Although Bangladesh is a signatory to WHO FCTC, it cannot ratify the international protocol to eliminate illicit trade in tobacco products as the country is not yet able and ready to fulfill the condition of instituting a tracking system whereby to monitor and track down the illicit trade due to what the National Tobacco Control Cell of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare says lack of manpower and logistics in the organisation," Khan elucidated.
The ADHUNIK president lamented that despite a ban on new investment and product development in the tobacco sector, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) has recently been signed between a local tobacco company and a multinational tobacco giant allowing foreign investment to be pumped into the regulated sector.
Smokeless tobacco has been defined as a tobacco product under the 'Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) (Amendment) Act, 2013' as both the smoke and smokeless tobacco is equally injurious to health, the anti-tobacco activist told the audience.
The ADHUNIK chief mentioned that the WHO in the early 1980's identified tobacco as an addictive drug as it contains not only carcinogenous and toxic chemicals but also nicotine that creates addiction in the users.
He called upon the authorities to declare tobacco as an addictive drug to enable the Department of Narcotics Control to treat tobacco addicts like the illicit drug offenders.
Hiding under the cloak of corporate social responsibility (CSR), tobacco companies carry on extensive promotional activities indirectly that violates the spirit of the law, the UNB chairman asserted.
The anti-tobacco campaigner further pointed out that in 2010 the tobacco industry in the US was reported to have spent 16.6 million on lobbyists to represent the industry to the US Congress.
Among others, Dr. Tajul Islam, president, ADHUNIK Patenga Chittagong Branch, Md. Shahjahan, president, ADHUNIK Chandpur Branch, M.A Jabbar, executive secretary of ADHUNIK, Ali Neyamat and M. Safiuddin, members, ADHUNIK, also spoke on the occasion.
Earlier in the morning, ADHUNIK staged an anti-tobacco rally in front of the National Press Club in observance of WNTD.
The rally was led by Amanullah Khan and participated, among others, by M.A. Jabbar and ADHUNIK members from districts. It was later joined by national Prof. Dr. M.R. Khan.