pictorial health warnings on tobacco packs
Govt stick to Mar 19 deadline
Health minister Mohammed Nasim said yesterday (Saturday) that the government will implement the Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) Rule, 2015, which makes 50 per cent pictorial health warnings on tobacco packets mandatory, by March 19.
We will issue a circular asking cigarette and tobacco producers and companies and related government officials to implement the tobacco control law by March 19. The circular will be issued within a day or two, the minister said while addressing as chief guest a discussion on implementing the pictorial health warning on tobacco packets to make people aware about the health hazards.
Five anti-tobacco bodies, including PROGGA, Atma and the Campaign For Tobacco Free Kids, organised the discussion.
The discussion was conducted by Zahirul Alam, chief news editor of NTV, a private TV channel. Former law minister Abdul Matin Khasru, MP, Kazi Rozi, MP, Ahsanul Haque Chowdhury, MP, Arup Raton Chowdhury, president of Manos, Brig (retd) Dr MA Malek, chairman, the National Heart Foundation, and politician Mozaffar Hossain Poltu were among those who spoke at the meeting.
The health minister urged people to give up smoking to get rid of various diseases. If we can give up smoking, the tobacco law could be implemented easily. Without peoples cooperation, the law alone cannot do much, he noted.
The companies have to give 50 per cent pictorial health warnings on tobacco packets in accordance with the law, the minister added.
Abdul Matin Khasru said production, marketing and consumption should be stopped for the greater interest of peoples health.
Nobody can play with our lives. The government should impose more tax on the tobacco companies, so that they are forced to stop production , Khasru added.
The participants alleged that the tobacco companies are trying to delay implementation of what is known as graphical health warning (GHW) on packets.
Earlier, the government amended the Smoking and Using of Tobacco Products (Control) Act, 2005 by incorporating strong provisions, removing loopholes that were in the law. After amending the law in 2013, the Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) Rule, 2015 was formulated, making pictorial health warnings on tobacco products mandatory.
Article 11 of the International Treaty on Tobacco Control, Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) suggested that 50 per cent space on either side of the packets should contain the GHW.
As per Section 10 of the amended tobacco law, the graphical health warning is to be printed on the top of tobacco packets, cover, carton or box, covering at least 50 per cent of the total space of each main display area. If the section of the law is violated, the punishment could be rigorous imprisonment not less than six months, or fine not less than Tk. 200,000 or both; if the violation is for the second time, the punishment will be doubled gradually.
Canada first introduced pictorial health warnings on tobacco packages in 2001. Now, at least 77 countries have introduced the health warnings on packets.
In Nepal, tobacco companies have to cover 90 per cent space of the packets with graphic warnings, while in India they will have to use 85 per cent of the package surface from April.
Pakistan has also decided to implement graphical warnings covering 70 per cent space of the packs.
Tobacco use is a major cause of death in Bangladesh and other parts of the world. WHO estimates that 57,000 people die of tobacco-related diseases each year in Bangladesh, while more than 300,000 suffer disabilities every year.
