Tobacco usage ‘drops by 18.5pc in 9 years’

Still long way to make Bangladesh tobacco-free by 2040: GATS

Tobacco consumption has been reduced in Bangladesh by 18.5 per cent in nine years from 2009 to 2017 but this is not enough to make the country tobacco-free by 2040, said anti-tobacco activists at a seminar at the National Press Club in the capital yesterday.

The seminar was jointly organised by Progga and Anti Tobacco Media alliance with support from Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids to unveil the recently conducted Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) report over the consumption of tobacco products, according to a press release issued yesterday.   

Government initiatives like amendment of tobacco control law, pictorial health warning on tobacco packets and efforts of anti-tobacco campaigners’ have helped to drop rate, opined the participants.  

The GATS survey revealed that the total tobacco consumption among people aged over 15 years old was 43.3% in 2009. The rate decreased to 35.3 per cent in 2017, following the GATS report.   

Besides, there had been some other notable changes such as exposure to secondhand smoking at home and public places significantly declined. At residential atmosphere, the exposure stood at 39 per cent in 2017 while it was 54.9% in 2009.  

"Among adults who visited various public places in the past 30 days, the exposure declined -- from 79.7% to 49.7% in restaurants; from 62.2% to 42.7% in indoor areas of the work place; from 53.6% to 44.0% in public transportation, and from 23.8% to 12.7% in health care facilities,” the survey reveals.

In the recent years, the government took some policy changes such as revision of the ‘Smoking and Usage of Tobacco Products (Control) Act’ in 2013, framing of the new rules in 2015 to supersede the 2006 rules bringing the country closer to compliance with the WHO FCTC, and introducing pictorial health warning on all tobacco packets covering at least 50% of the pack, the survey report said.

Moreover, the government also increased the tobacco ad valorem tax annually, implemented anti-tobacco campaigns in different media like television, radio, and print media, and improved cessation services through awareness building and various training programmes, added the report.

The participants also made some recommendations at the seminar. Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud and Health Secretary Asadul Islam were also present at the seminar among others.

 

Tobacco usage drops by 18.5pc in 9 years

Still long way to make Bangladesh tobacco-free by 2040: GATS

Tobacco consumption has been reduced in Bangladesh by 18.5 per cent in nine years from 2009 to 2017 but this is not enough to make the country tobacco-free by 2040, said anti-tobacco activists at a seminar at the National Press Club in the capital yesterday. The seminar was jointly organised by Progga and Anti Tobacco Media alliance with support from Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids to unveil the recently conducted Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) report over the consumption of tobacco products, according to a press release issued yesterday. Government initiatives like amendment of tobacco control law, pictorial health warning on tobacco packets and efforts of anti-tobacco campaigners have helped to drop rate, opined the participants. The GATS survey revealed that the total tobacco consumption among people aged over 15 years old was 43.3% in 2009. The rate decreased to 35.3 per cent in 2017, following the GATS report. Besides, there had been some other notable changes such as exposure to secondhand smoking at home and public places significantly declined. At residential atmosphere, the exposure stood at 39 per cent in 2017 while it was 54.9% in 2009. Among adults who visited various public places in the past 30 days, the exposure declined -- from 79.7% to 49.7% in restaurants; from 62.2% to 42.7% in indoor areas of the work place; from 53.6% to 44.0% in public transportation, and from 23.8% to 12.7% in health care facilities, the survey reveals. In the recent years, the government took some policy changes such as revision of the Smoking and Usage of Tobacco Products (Control) Act in 2013, framing of the new rules in 2015 to supersede the 2006 rules bringing the country closer to compliance with the WHO FCTC, and introducing pictorial health warning on all tobacco packets covering at least 50% of the pack, the survey report said. Moreover, the government also increased the tobacco ad valorem tax annually, implemented anti-tobacco campaigns in different media like television, radio, and print media, and improved cessation services through awareness building and various training programmes, added the report. The participants also made some recommendations at the seminar. Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud and Health Secretary Asadul Islam were also present at the seminar among others.