Smoking and insecurity of public health: Paradoxes of protection

While talking about the adverse impact of smoking on health and environment, some decent smokers might come to defend that smoking is an individual’s private matter

Smoking in public places is a punishable felony, don’t we know it? Nevertheless, general public to police, teen to adult, doctors to dizzy rickshaw pullers, graduate to guardians all class of people are burning cigarette to boom fume at public places as like thief knew no laws. Banally Bangladesh is denounced for having abundant of laws but absence of rule of laws. Besides, nonexistence of law in many matters escalates suffering instead of salvation. On the other hand, many optimistic laws and policies become futile with poor implementation. Since independence, different governments enacted several tobacco control laws, especially in 2005 and 2013, to secure public health. Nevertheless, the number of smokers has escalated and consequentially its outcome remains far cry due to poor implementation.

Apart from policy paradoxes, let’s talk about some public behaviours. Smokers smoke as they think it is their individual right. However, what about the rights of non-smokers who willingly decide not to inhale cigarette’s fume? While talking about the adverse impact of smoking on health and environment, some decent smokers might come to defend that smoking is an individual’s private issue where strangers are not allowed to intervene! Here interest of two groups conflicts. Liberalism demands equality of rights whereas utilitarianism entails everyone’s welfare to be equal where ultimately freedom of life does not permit breaching of others freedom. Smoking vehemently violates natural law, contaminating ecosystem and forcing the non-smokers to inhale secondhand smoke, known as passive smoking. This is considered more detrimental than firsthand smoking. Suppose, you are in a public bus or in a park to relax and wish to inhale fresh air that might not be possible because those spaces are already occupied by some smokers and they are blooming reek by blindly smoking.

This write up is guided by some popular questions such as - what is the value for money of licensing tobacco trade. How nonsmoker’s health is endangered by passive smoking? Are the smokers smarter than nonsmokers? It is considered as fashion to some smokers even though it causes tremendous injuries to health.

A suicidal move indeed! Asfia Tarannun, a graduate in Public Health from Asian University of Women, says―when almost every adult knows the bad effect of smoking like bronchitis to brain stroke, cancer to impotence than how cigarette addiction, a suicidal attempt, can be a sign of smartness?

World Health Organization (WHO Fact Sheet-2017) remarked that smoking is the causes of many life killing diseases like cancer and heart stroke. It kills up to half of its user i.e. more than 7 million people each year. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (Report 2017) talked about three of potential dangers of passive smoking i.e. firstly; involuntary smoking is a cause of disease, including lung cancer. Secondly, the children of parents who smoke have an increased frequency of respiratory infections, thirdly, simple split-up of smokers and nonsmokers within the identical airspace may diminish, but does not eradicate, exposure of nonsmokers to environmental tobacco smoke.

While discouraging, enacting laws and investing huge penny to protect public health, the government is licensing and opening available flexible markets for tobacco traders, as like cutting and watering a tree simultaneously, which is the outcomes of sharp conflict of interest and paradox of public policies. But the question is why the government does not ban tobacco trading? It is due to two key reasons. Firstly, not only the smokers, a remarkable number of people are involved in cigarette production, distribution and selling, a big vote bank, and any prohibition from smoking might lead them to no longer vote for the politicians. Secondly, the government earns practically US$ 250 million as tax revenue annually from tobacco products (National Economic Review-2016-17) which motivates to allow tobacco trading. Alongside the tobacco companies, mostly political elites provide politico- economic backing during the elections.

Although the modified tobacco control law 2013 bans advertising of tobacco products in cinemas, newspapers, television and even restricts the installation of cigarette vending machines in public places (Section-5/E). Alongside it reserved 10 smoking free public zones where smoking is strongly prohibited. It also enhanced fine from Tk 50 to 300 for smoking at these places and projected taka 500 for those involved in the management of public places if they fail to check smoking (Section-4/A). The levy will be doubled on those who are using tobacco in smoke-free public areas. Three months’ simple imprisonment and a fine of Tk 100,000 will be executed for airing any advertisement for tobacco products (Section-5/G/4).

However, the policy barely works due to wide corruption, and lack of mainstreaming into government agenda. Elsewhere, law enforcing agency’s personnel, unfortunately, become the big client of cigarette. Alongside the culture of impunity for ill-doers, mainly political elites are jeopardizing the rule of law, enhancing insecurity for nonsmokers. Then what should the government do? Banning smoking disregarding political advantages but public health?

The writers are fellows at Teach for Bangladesh (TFB)

Smoking and insecurity of public health: Paradoxes of protection

While talking about the adverse impact of smoking on health and environment, some decent smokers might come to defend that smoking is an individuals private matter

Smoking in public places is a punishable felony, dont we know it? Nevertheless, general public to police, teen to adult, doctors to dizzy rickshaw pullers, graduate to guardians all class of people are burning cigarette to boom fume at public places as like thief knew no laws. Banally Bangladesh is denounced for having abundant of laws but absence of rule of laws. Besides, nonexistence of law in many matters escalates suffering instead of salvation. On the other hand, many optimistic laws and policies become futile with poor implementation. Since independence, different governments enacted several tobacco control laws, especially in 2005 and 2013, to secure public health. Nevertheless, the number of smokers has escalated and consequentially its outcome remains far cry due to poor implementation. Apart from policy paradoxes, lets talk about some public behaviours. Smokers smoke as they think it is their individual right. However, what about the rights of non-smokers who willingly decide not to inhale cigarettes fume? While talking about the adverse impact of smoking on health and environment, some decent smokers might come to defend that smoking is an individuals private issue where strangers are not allowed to intervene! Here interest of two groups conflicts. Liberalism demands equality of rights whereas utilitarianism entails everyones welfare to be equal where ultimately freedom of life does not permit breaching of others freedom. Smoking vehemently violates natural law, contaminating ecosystem and forcing the non-smokers to inhale secondhand smoke, known as passive smoking. This is considered more detrimental than firsthand smoking. Suppose, you are in a public bus or in a park to relax and wish to inhale fresh air that might not be possible because those spaces are already occupied by some smokers and they are blooming reek by blindly smoking. This write up is guided by some popular questions such as - what is the value for money of licensing tobacco trade. How nonsmokers health is endangered by passive smoking? Are the smokers smarter than nonsmokers? It is considered as fashion to some smokers even though it causes tremendous injuries to health. A suicidal move indeed! Asfia Tarannun, a graduate in Public Health from Asian University of Women, says―when almost every adult knows the bad effect of smoking like bronchitis to brain stroke, cancer to impotence than how cigarette addiction, a suicidal attempt, can be a sign of smartness? World Health Organization (WHO Fact Sheet-2017) remarked that smoking is the causes of many life killing diseases like cancer and heart stroke. It kills up to half of its user i.e. more than 7 million people each year. U.S. Department of Health Human Services (Report 2017) talked about three of potential dangers of passive smoking i.e. firstly; involuntary smoking is a cause of disease, including lung cancer. Secondly, the children of parents who smoke have an increased frequency of respiratory infections, thirdly, simple split-up of smokers and nonsmokers within the identical airspace may diminish, but does not eradicate, exposure of nonsmokers to environmental tobacco smoke. While discouraging, enacting laws and investing huge penny to protect public health, the government is licensing and opening available flexible markets for tobacco traders, as like cutting and watering a tree simultaneously, which is the outcomes of sharp conflict of interest and paradox of public policies. But the question is why the government does not ban tobacco trading? It is due to two key reasons. Firstly, not only the smokers, a remarkable number of people are involved in cigarette production, distribution and selling, a big vote bank, and any prohibition from smoking might lead them to no longer vote for the politicians. Secondly, the government earns practically US$ 250 million as tax revenue annually from tobacco products (National Economic Review-2016-17) which motivates to allow tobacco trading. Alongside the tobacco companies, mostly political elites provide politico- economic backing during the elections. Although the modified tobacco control law 2013 bans advertising of tobacco products in cinemas, newspapers, television and even restricts the installation of cigarette vending machines in public places (Section-5/E). Alongside it reserved 10 smoking free public zones where smoking is strongly prohibited. It also enhanced fine from Tk 50 to 300 for smoking at these places and projected taka 500 for those involved in the management of public places if they fail to check smoking (Section-4/A). The levy will be doubled on those who are using tobacco in smoke-free public areas. Three months simple imprisonment and a fine of Tk 100,000 will be executed for airing any advertisement for tobacco products (Section-5/G/4). However, the policy barely works due to wide corruption, and lack of mainstreaming into government agenda. Elsewhere, law enforcing agencys personnel, unfortunately, become the big client of cigarette. Alongside the culture of impunity for ill-doers, mainly political elites are jeopardizing the rule of law, enhancing insecurity for nonsmokers. Then what should the government do? Banning smoking disregarding political advantages but public health? The writers are fellows at Teach for Bangladesh (TFB)