World No Tobacco Day today

Desk Report: World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) is being observed today (Thursday) in the country as elsewhere across the world highlighting the health and additional risks associated with tobacco uses, and advocating for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption.

This year’s theme for World No Tobacco Day 2018 is “Tobacco Attacks Heart:
Stay away, Save Lives”.

President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages on the eve of the day and called upon all to stop use of tobacco and tobacco-based products for the sake of public health and national economy.

In his message the President said, “Tobacco smoking is harmful to health. One of the main reasons behind all the preventable diseases in the world is tobacco. One person dies in every six seconds in diseases like cancer, heart ailments, stroke, diabetes and asthma caused by tobacco. People also lose their ability to work because of tobacco.”

Narrating the present government’s stance about tobacco use, President Abdul Hamid said it gives greatest priority to public health and that is why the government in 2013 amended Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) Act, 2005, and in 2015, formulated the Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) Rule, 2015.

“Now pictorial warnings are being published on both sides of every tobacco packets. Smoking has been declared illegal in all the public places and public transports to save non-smokers from passive smoking. Selling to or buying tobacco products from children have been banned completely,” the President said.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in her message reminded formulation of sustainable development goals, giving importance to control of non-communicable diseases and effective implementation of UN Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

“Importance is being given worldwide in tackling diseases like cancer, heart ailments, stroke, diabetes and asthma, by reducing use of tobacco. World Health Organization has formulated FCTC in this regard,” she said.

“Awami league government in 2013 amended Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) Act, 2005, and formulated Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) Rule, 2015. We imposed 1% surcharge on the selling price of tobacco products from 2014-15. We also approved The Health Development Surcharge Management Policy-2017 to use money collected as surcharge in controlling tobacco,” the premier said.

The prime minister also said it is under government’s consideration to increase tax on tobacco and make the tax infrastructure easier.



risingbd/Dhaka/May 31, 2018/Mukul