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Tobacco companies applying various tactics to foil govt move


Published : 08 Oct 2019 05:11 PM | Updated : 07 Sep 2020 05:47 PM

The tobacco companies are tactfully trying to foil the government’s move for formulating the tobacco control policy. 

The government has taken the initiative to formulate a ‘National Tobacco Control Policy’ aimed at controlling the use of tobacco and creating mass awareness against adverse impacts of tobacco on human health. But the tobacco companies are applying various tactics to prevent the government from the move. They are providing false and misleading information to the government office to achieve their gain. 

Bangladesh Cigarette Manufacturers Association (BCMA) recently submitted a letter to the Health Ministry as well as the National Tobacco Control Cell. In the letter to the department concerned, the BCMA highlighted that yearly revenue income from tobacco sector is Tk 28000 crore. The organisation presented false information. They, however, tactfully avoided the economic loss of tobacco use, said Helal Ahmed, acting coordinator of Bangladesh Anti Tobacco Alliance (BATA). 

According to a study, the economic cost of use of tobacco as well as medical treatment for tobacco-related diseases was Tk 30,560 crore in fiscal 2017-18, which was higher than the total gain from tobacco at Tk 22,810 crore.

On the other hand, the use of electronic cigarettes in Bangladesh is increasing at a significant rate. E-cigarette consumption is harmful that has been proven in studies. India has already banned the product. Many other countries, including the USA, are taking steps in this regard. 

However, the tobacco companies claim to have legitimate business opportunities by presenting E-cigarette as a harmless product. 

Talking to the Bangladesh Post, Syed Mahbubul Alam, Technical Adviser of The Union, on Monday said that E-cigarette must be banned. If it not banned right now, it would cause serious harm to the public health, she said. 

The tobacco companies say that the revenue income will decrease due to tobacco control activities as sale of illegal cigarettes will increase.  

The anti-tobacco activists said the information provided by the tobacco companies is not right. The tobacco companies are using different tactics to foil the government’s move.

In the letter, the tobacco companies said they are obeying the law. But they are not following law properly. They have been violating the law in various tactics, including displaying tobacco advertisements and promoting propaganda, said the anti-tobacco activists. 

Syeda Anonna Rahman, Programme Manager of WBB Trust, said that the tobacco companies are trying to negatively impact the government's good initiative on tobacco control by presenting false and misleading information. If they do not refrain from these efforts now, the government’s steps in public health protection and its implementation will be severely hampered, she added.

She said that tactical and unwarranted intervention of tobacco companies repeatedly disrupted the country's tobacco control programme. Profit is more important to tobacco companies than public interest and ethics.

More than one million people die every year in the world due to various diseases related to tobacco. In Bangladesh, about 26,000 people died of tobacco-related diseases in 2018. In this backdrop, the government is trying to strengthen the tobacco-tax framework and take more visible steps, including forming task force committee at national and local levels to ensure effective implementation of the law.