Number of tobacco users down by 8pc in 8 years
The number of tobacco users in the population of 15-year and above age group has dropped by eight percent in the last eight years, said a study report of Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) 2017, reports UNB. The initial findings of the research result were revealed by the Ministry of Health and Family Planning yesterday in front of the Health and Family Planning Minister Mohammad Nasim at his ministry, said a press release.
According to the report, the number of smokers and smokeless tobacco consumers of the country have decreased five percent and 6.6 percent respectively. Currently 35.3 percent of the population of the country, which is 3.78 crore, consume tobacco, of which 18 percent (1.92 crore) consume smoking tobacco and 20.6 percent (2.20 crore) consume smokeless tobacco, according to the initial report. Some 43.3 percent of the population of the country used to consume tobacco back in 2009.
Bangladesh Prime Minister has expressed her commitment to transform Bangladesh into a tobacco-free country by 2040, but the move of allowing the tobacco business to expand its trade will hinder the countrys journey towards that goal, the organization added.
Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) 2017 was conducted by World Health Organization (WHO), Centre for Diseases Control (CDC) and the government of Bangladesh among the population aged between 15 years and above.
