DNCC demands strengthening of tobacco control laws

Tobacco not only causes havoc for the user but also poses an equal threat to the health of non-smokers around them. About 1 lakh 61 thousand people die every year due to the terrible effects of tobacco. Eliminating tobacco is crucial to prevent the detrimental effects it can cause. For this reason, it is necessary to strengthen the Tobacco Control Act to ban the use of tobacco and tobacco products in the country. Member of parliament, the Chief Executive Officer of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), and female councilors have urged for the enhancement of the Tobacco Control Act.

A discussion meeting was held on Wednesday (March 27) at the Dhaka North City Corporation CEO's office, focusing on enhancing the tobacco control legislation to realize Prime Minister's goal of a tobacco-free Bangladesh by 2040. The event was organized by Non-government women's development organization Nari Maitree.

Mir Khairul Alam, chief executive officer of Dhaka North City Corporation, chaired the meeting where Zara Jabeen Mahbub, MP (Women Constituency-7), was present as a special guest. Abdus Salam Miah, program manager of CTFK-Bangladesh, served as the keynote speaker. Additionally, several local representatives were in attendance at the meeting.

Shaheen Akhtar Dolly, the executive director of Nari Maitree, delivered the welcome speech. She said, "Tobacco is very harmful to women's health. In addition to the various aspects of tobacco control, it is very important to think about women and children. Women and children are at high risk due to direct and secondhand smoke. Although non-smokers in Bangladesh, about 38.4 million people are exposed to second-hand smoke in different ways in public places and public transport every year. Naturally, women and children are the most affected. As a result, women have to face various complications of menstruation including infertility, low birth weight or stillbirth, premature birth, and uterine cancer. Also, the possibility of giving birth to a child with poor memory can be a result of tobacco consumption. We don't know much about this subject. Besides, cigarette smoke is very dangerous for children's respiratory systems. Because smoking smoke easily enters children's respiratory system and harms children's health. Second-hand smoke causes various diseases including pneumonia, bronchitis, and asthma in children. We must all come together to raise awareness for strengthening tobacco control laws, as well as strengthen women's voices in protecting women's health and protecting public health."

Abdus Salam Miah said, "According to the information of Tobacco Atlas 2018, 1 lakh 61 thousand people die prematurely in Bangladesh every year due to diseases related to tobacco use. That means 442 people die every day from this terrible tobacco onslaught."

"The revised draft of the Tobacco Control Act prepared by the Ministry of Health proposes to abolish designated smoking areas, prohibit the display of tobacco products at points of sale, stop the retail sale of bidi-cigarettes, ban e-cigarettes, stop CSR activities of tobacco companies and increase the range of warnings on cigarette packets from 50 to 90 percent, which will further strengthen the Act. As a result, the death rate due to tobacco will decrease on the one hand and public health will also improve on the other hand," he added.

Zara Jabeen Mahbub MP said, “Tobacco addiction is throwing the youth into a dark world. Children and teenagers are getting addicted to smoking at a young age. Apart from facing terrible physical ailments, they are also suffering mentally. In today's era, mainly through social media, tobacco companies are consciously targeting teenagers. If we do not stop this strategy of tobacco companies, the possibility of major social disaster is high. And to save the country from this disaster, it is very important to ban tobacco by strengthening tobacco control laws."

Mir Khairul Alam said, "About 12 percent of teenagers in Bangladesh are addicted to regular smoking. Tobacco companies believe that if this generation can be introduced to cigarettes at a young age, they will continue to smoke for at least 60 years. Therefore, the main goal of tobacco companies is to get addicted to this young generation. Therefore, to save this country from degradation, the use of tobacco must be completely banned."

He also said, "It is our responsibility to protect our youth. Also, we have to take a strong stand on our own so that our family, our children are not threatened due to our ignorance." He expressed optimism that Dhaka North City Corporation will stand by Nari Maitri in all anti-tobacco activities.

Nasrin Akhtar, Project Coordinator of Nari Maitree's Tobacco Control Project, presented a documentary film in favor of strengthening the tobacco control laws and harmful aspects of tobacco. Nari Maitree Khaled Bin Yousuf thanked the guests.