Task force must be active to enforce tobacco control law

Anti-tobacco activists opine at virtual conference task force must be active to enforce tobacco law. The webinar on tobacco law held on Saturday 2 May 2020. Anti-tobacco activists have expressed outrage that advertising and promotion activities of the tobacco companies are continuing during corona virus crisis.   They expressed their displeasure at a webinar titled ‘Implementation of Tobacco Control Act at Local Level’. The meeting was jointly organized by the Bangladesh Anti-Tobacco Alliance and the WBB Trust on Saturday 2 May 2020.   The speakers said that the government has been working tirelessly to formulate policies to control tobacco use. While these measures are promising, tobacco companies continue to aggressively violate the law in expanding the market…

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Request to Health Economics Unit for sending proposal to increase tobacco tax

A representative team of Bangladesh Anti Tobacco Alliance met Dr. Md. Shahadat Hossain Mahmud, Director General of the Health Economics Unit on 9 December 2019. During the meeting, the representatives requested Health Economics Unit to send proposal to the Ministry of Finance for taking initiatives to conduct research on the effects of tobacco and increase the base value and tax of tobacco products. Members of the representative team also raised the issue with significant importance of rendering misleading information by tobacco companies to spread the influence in the policy.  Sushanta Kumar Singha said, tobacco companies want to mislead policy makers in various ways. It is important to have specific and detailed information on tobacco production, imports, exports,…

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Tobacco companies must be regulated strictly

Tobacco companies are putting 'death knell' at people's hands. Not only that, they are delaying in formulating helpful policies in public health development and creating obstacles in implementing these policies. Tobacco companies must be strictly regulated so that the policies and initiatives taken in the public interest are not harmed. For this, proper implementation of existing laws and supporting policies should be formulated. Speakers said the above issues during a meeting entitled as “Intervention of Tobacco Company in Policy: In context of Bangladesh” organized by the Bangladesh Anti-Tobacco Alliance on Tuesday, November 26 at noon in Rayerbazar, Dhaka. Sushanta Kumar Singha, special correspondent of Jamuna TV and tobacco control researcher presented an article in the meeting. Helal Ahmed, general secretary…

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Demand to declare National No Tobacco Day officially and Ban e-cigarette considering well being of future generation

E-cigarette has been proved harmful by many international researches. But tobacco companies are falsely claiming the opposite and promoting e-cigarettes among youths only to pursue their profit. E-cigarettes should be banned in Bangladesh considering health hazard and to ensure betterment of future generation. Besides to achieve the goal of making ‘Tobacco free Bangladesh’ by 2040, National No Tobacco Day must be declared and celebrated officially by Government along with World No Tobacco Day. Speakers opined such on a campaign organized by Bangladesh Anti-Tobacco Alliance (BATA) today on 09 October 2019, in front of National Press Club to celebrate National No Tobacco Day. Later they put forward a memorandum to the coordinator of National Tobacco Control Cell (NTCC)…

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NTCC instructs to ban ‘Battle of Mind’ event of BAT

Tobacco companies promote tobacco products in the name of ‘Battle of Mind’ campaign in various educational institutions. Besides they are installing sell points nearby those. This type of activities are creating obstacle to achieve the goal set by Honorable Prime Minister to make Bangladesh tobacco free by 2040. In this circumstance, it is necessary to stop educational institute oriented activities by tobacco companies. Recently, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), and BRAC University have stopped these programs in their premises. Bangladesh Anti Tobacco Alliance and other organizations are working since long to stop ‘Battle of Mind’ campaign by tobacco companies. National Tobacco Control Cell (NTCC) has already instructed Department of Education and University…

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BAT’s promotional program ‘Battle of Mind’ stopped

Avoiding the provision of Smoking and Tobacco Uses (control) act, British American Tobacco Bangladesh (BATB) is conducting innovative promotional activities in the renowned universities of the country. Behind this program so-called program under the name of giving employment to the youth, BATB is promoting aggressive campaign and giving the death stick named cigarette in the hand of potential young generation. Where government is working to make Bangladesh as a 'tobacco-free country’, in that situation the crafty tobacco company BATB is busy in making new smokers. And for this, they have chosen the bright students who are very potential for future. Anti-tobacco organizations has urged for immediate stopping of such activities. On October 25, anti-tobacco organizations have taken…

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Demand to stop BAT’s fraudulent program ‘Battle of Mind’

All sorts of tobacco advertisements, promotion and sponsorship are banned by the tobacco control law. So, death-stick seller tobacco companies are conducting various deceptive activities to addict youth in tobacco use. From the moral position and principle of international tobacco control treaty, it is necessary to refrain from supporting tobacco industries to arrange any program. Public and private university authorities should be concerned that no tobacco companies could enter in the educational institutions. Speakers opined that in a discussion meeting organized by Stamford University Bangladesh and Work for a Better Bangladesh (WBB) Trust at Shiddheswary campus auditorium of Stamford University Bangladesh on 31 January 2017. Professor Dr. M Feroze Ahmed, Vice Chancellor of Stamford University Bangladesh addressed…

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All tobacco product should be incorporated in law

Sadapata, zarda and gul should be incorporated in law to save women experts in a seminar of National Girls Child Advocacy Forum and WBB Trust Though use of chewable tobacco like Sadapata, zarda and gul is rampant in country, these are not defined in the law. As a result, controlling use of these tobacco products is not possible through the existing law. Tobacco use is increasing rapidly because of tobacco company’s advertisements and socialization of tobacco use. Besides, women are being affected by Passive Smoking in workplaces, private institutions, public places and public transports. In order to save women and children law development and high taxation on all tobacco products including chewable tobacco products.  26 January 2011 Leaders…

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