We must stop the consumption of tobacco
M. A. Jabbar
Bangladesh with the rest of the world observed the No Tobacco Day on Sunday. Every year on 31 May, World No Tobacco Day reminds us that tobacco causes health problems that include sickness, pain, grief, and misery due to various diseases and involves huge medical costs for the treatment. In addition to medical costs, there are other indirect costs including lost of productivity and environmental harm. The day is observed every year in the member countries with a theme selected by the World Health Organization (WHO). The theme of the World No Tobacco Day for 2015 is Stop illicit trade of tobacco. World No Tobacco Day provides an opportunity to create attention and action for all the partner countries, non-government organizations, and individuals in every community to work together for a tobacco-free environment that can ensure better health.
The global tobacco epidemic kills nearly 6 million people each year on average ; shockingly more than 600,000 are non-smokers dying from breathing second-hand smoke.
Unless proper steps are taken, the this vice will kill, more than 8 million people every year by 2030 and more than 80% of these preventable deaths will be among people living in low and middle-income countries.
In Bangladesh, 43% of adults use some form of tobacco. Smokeless tobacco is used by 28% of women and 26% of men, whereas 45% of men and 1.5% of women smoke cigarettes. 57,000 people die every year from tobacco related diseases and 3,82,000 people were suffering from diseases and disabilities due to use of tobacco. At this scenerio, as a member country, Bangladesh also observed the day in a befitting manner to materialize the WHO strategies and
policies for the health benefits of the people.
Why innocent non-smokers will be vulnerbale to the deadly habit of smoking: This is a question about why at no fault of the non-smokers they will be vulnerable to the deadly habit of smoking. It is a fact that non-smokers cannot be safe so long, there are smokers around. If non-smokers happen to inhale the air polluted by tobacco smokers the former run the same risk as the smokers . This is called second-hand smoke. Second-hand smoke is the smoke that fills restaurants, offices or other compact spaces when people burn tobacco products such as cigarettes, bidis and water pipes. WHO facts reveal that there are more than 4000 chemicals in tobacco smoke of which at least 250 are know to be harmful and more than 50 are known to cause cancer. In adults, second-hand smoke causes serious cardiovascular and respiratory disease, including coronary heart disease and lung cancer. In infants, it causes sudden death and in pregnant women, it causes low birth weight. Almost half of children regularly breathe air polluted by tobacco smoke in public places. Over 40 percent of children have at least one smoking parent. Tobacco users who die prematurely deprive their families of income, raise the cost of health care, and hinder economic development. As such, steps have been taken by various governments to protect the rights of the
non-smokers.
In our country non-smokers rights have been protected in the tobacco control law.
Tobacco accelerates poverty: Tobacco and poverty create a vicious circle. Tobacco use is higher among the poor. Poor families, in turn spend a larger proportion of their income on tobacco. Money spent on tobacco deprives the family of basic human needs such as food, shelter, education, and health care. Tobacco accelerates poverty among users and their families since tobacco users are at much higher risk of falling ill and dying prematurely of cancers, heart attacks, respiratory diseases or other tobacco-induced diseases.
Specific goals of the World No Tobacco Day 2015: Raise awareness on the harm to peoples health caused by the illicit trade of tobacco products, show how pictorial health warnings and other measures are undermined by the illicit trade in tobacco products, demonstrate how the tobacco industry is involved in the illicit trade of tobacco products, highlight how the illicit trade of tobacco products is a means of accumulating wealth for criminal groups to finance other organized crime activities including drugs, human and arms trafficking.
Taxes help reduce tobacco use: WHO studies show that tobacco taxes are the most effective way to reduce tobacco use, especially among young people and poor people. A tax increase that increases tobacco prices by 10 percent decreases tobacco consumption by about 4 percent in high-income countries and by upto 8 percent in low-and middle-income countries. Tax structure on cigarettes in Bangladesh is based on 4 stages, the lowest being 40% and the highest 60%. The supplementary duty/tax on bidis ranges between 20% and 25% depending on whether it has filter or not. In the last budget, it was sought to impose 1 percent health development surcharge on all imported and domestically produced tobacco products for utilizing the fund collected from this source on the treatment of the victims of tobacco related diseases. This was a praiseworthy step, but it has to be higher and effectively introduced for the health and welfare of the people.
Revolutionary steps by the government: Bangladesh Government is working seriously towards implementation of the tobacco control law, which resulted in passing of the Tobacco Control Amendment Bill by the Parliament in April 2013 to plug the many loopholes in the previous law. This was an important step in the history of tobacco control movement in Bangladesh. The features of the law are: the scope of tobacco control measures have been extended to include smokeless tobacco products, Graphic/Pictorial health warnings, covering 50% of the surface, on both tobacco packet sides (also chewing tobacco and bidis) are included. The fine for smoking at public places or transports has been increased from 50 taka to 300 taka. Establishment of the National Tobacco Control Cell (NTCC) at the Ministry of Health Family Welfare is a milestone, which works for the proper implementation of the law, monitors tobacco control activities, researches on tobacco control and does related activities/actions on tobacco control for the health and welfare of the people.
Tobacco users need help to quit: WHO fact reveals that smokers who are aware of the dangers of tobacco, most of them want to quit the deadly habit.
As nicotine exists in tobacco, it becomes difficult on the part of the smokers to quit. Nevertheless, counselling, cooperation from the near and dear ones, medication and various awareness measures can help a smoker to quit the habit.
The history of tobaco control movement in Bangladesh is glorious. With the establishment of National Tobacco Control Cell (NTCC) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the movement got strong footing. WHO theme, Stop illicit trade of Tobacco on the day is an opportunity for all involved in tobacco control programme. Different NGOs, health personnel, policiy makers, social workers, academic institutions, and individuals are working towards a tobacco-free environment.
We have many achievements in this regard. Nevertheless, we have to work against tobacco until the last victory.
Working together, we shall be able to quit tobacco for a safe and healthy life for all. The writer is executive secretary of ADHUNIK, national anti-tobacco organization of Bangladesh
