Although tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship (TAPS) are prohibited in Bangladesh, illegal tobacco advertising is rampant in the country due to a lack of proper monitoring and disciplinary measures.
Many tobacco companies, particularly the leading tobacco companies, have been found violating the advertising prohibition of the ‘Smoking and Using of Tobacco Products (Control) (Amendment) Act, 2013’.
Section 5 (g) of the law states that tobacco products shall not be advertised in any manner at the point of sale of tobacco products. However, tobacco companies are encouraging tobacco users and small traders to sell tobacco products by providing them with various benefits and advertising at the point of sale of tobacco products, according to a monitoring report on TAPS ban violation.
The report has been prepared by the Work for a Better Bangladesh (WBB) Trust with the support of the Bangladesh Anti-Tobacco Alliance (BATA). The WBB Trust prepared the monitoring report following a six-month study in Dhaka city.
Tresa Krishna Gomes, assistant project officer at WBB Trust who is involved in preparing the report told Bangladesh Post that 200 shops have been monitored in Panthapath, Farmgate, Dhanmondi, Dilkusha and Gulistan in Dhaka city from last June to November 2023.
The monitoring report says that the TAPS ban prohibition has been violated by tobacco companies in 12 ways. These include displaying a small signboard with dummy cigarette packets; a prominent cigarette display shelf; stickers with curiosity-stimulating sentences; banners; dresses coloured with tobacco brands; and advertisements on glass windows.
Observations showed that tobacco companies used stickers with cigarette prices (18.33%) and small signboards with dummy cigarette packets (16.95%) for giving advertisements the most.
Followed by small board with upcoming brand messages 11.86%, cash box or any box with brand signage 9.39%, advertisement on glass window 9.39%, van and cycle coloured with tobacco brands 8.21%, dresses coloured with tobacco brands 6.65%, stickers with curiosity stimulating sentence 6.52%, prominent cigarette display shelf 4.82%, empty packets arranged to show 4.43%, umbrellas coloured with tobacco brands 1.83% and banner 1.56%.
According to the monitoring report, the tobacco companies are using the sales points in different places of Dhaka city, especially educational institutions, playgrounds, parks, hotels, restaurants, government or non-government institutions, in front of various sightseeing places, as one of the means of advertising.
This kind of scene is being observed not only in Dhaka city but all over the country. It is rampant due to a lack of proper monitoring and disciplinary measures.
The WBB Trust placed some recommendations in this regard. The recommendations include-- amendment of the existing tobacco control law; task force committee meetings should be held every three months; tobacco vendors should be brought under a licensing system; and the mobile court should be conducted on the basis of monitoring data and punishment should be administered.
Syeda Anonna Rahman, head of the program of WBB Trust, on Friday (January 12) told Bangladesh Post that the authorities concerned should accept the recommendations in the interest of tobacco control in Bangladesh. The tobacco advertising must not be allowed in the country, she added.
The government enacted the ‘Smoking and Using of Tobacco Products (Control) Act’ in 2005. Later, it has been updated. A ban on the advertisement of tobacco products was also imposed, together with health warnings on product packaging.
Syed Mahbubul Alam Tahin, a public health lawyer and renowned tobacco control advocate in Bangladesh said that steps are needed against tobacco advertising in the country. Proper monitoring and disciplinary measures should be taken regarding tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, he added.