World No Tobacco Day being observed

World No Tobacco Day today (Saturday). The day is being observed in Bangladesh as elsewhere in the globe with the aim of intensifying the campaign against tobacco consumption to raise awareness among the people about harmful effects of tobacco consumption. The theme of this year’s day is ‘Raise taxes on tobacco’. The government, different social-cultural, health, anti-tobacco organisations and other organisations have chalked out various programmes to mark the day. President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have issued separate messages on the occasion. The national programme has been organised at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB), in the city. Besides, ADHUNIK (We Prevent Smoking) has arranged a discussion at National Press Club (NPC). The global tobacco epidemic kills nearly 6 million people each year, of which more than 600,000 are non-smokers dying from breathing second-hand smoke, according to the World Health Organisation WHO). Unless any effective step is taken, the epidemic will kill more than 8 million people every year by 2030. More than 80 per cent of these preventable deaths will be among people living in low-and middle-income countries, according to a news agency.