Prominent cancer specialists, along with 150 doctors from Ahsania Mission Cancer and General Hospital, have urged the government to strengthen tobacco control laws and increase taxes on tobacco products to protect public health.
In a joint statement on Saturday Prof. Dr. M. A. Hai, Director of Bangladesh Cancer Society Hospital, Prof. Dr. Golam Mohiuddin Faruque, President of Bangladesh Cancer Society; Prof. Dr. Syed Akram Hossain, Senior Consultant of Clinical Oncology at Square Hospital; and Prof. Dr. A. M. M. Shariful Alam, Senior Consultant and head of Clinical Oncology at Ahsania Mission Cancer and General Hospital, among others, signed the statement, says a press release.
The statement said tobacco use is linked to various health risks, including cancer, heart attacks, strokes, respiratory problems, and digestive issues, along with other physical complications.
Despite awareness of these risks, many adult populations in Bangladesh continue to use tobacco products. The Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) reports that approximately 35.3pc of adults in Bangladesh use tobacco products, with nearly 38.4 million adults being exposed to secondhand smoke in various public places, workplaces, and public transportation.
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics data says, in the last five years till 2023, per capita income of Bangladesh increased by 643 dollars to 2 thousand 765 dollars. However, cigarette prices have either remained almost unchanged or increased slightly.
As a result, the real price of cigarettes has decreased. This makes cigarettes more accessible. On the other hand, single stick sales of bidi-cigarettes are also making tobacco products more accessible. The tendency of smoking among teenagers and young people is gradually increasing. On the other hand, people with low income are not discouraged from smoking.
Thus they are exposed to both financial and physical risks. If it is not brought under control now, it will be impossible to reduce tobacco use to zero by 2040.
They said it is urgent to increase the price of tobacco products by making the tobacco control law stronger and increasing taxes effectively to discourage smokers from using tobacco products.
They also said that there is no alternative to making the tobacco control law more stringent and reforming the existing tax structure of tobacco products to make the Prime Ministers promise of obacco-free Bangladesh by 2040 a reality.
