Extra taxes can reduce tobacco consumers, say speakers

RAJSHAHI: Journalists and development activists at a participatory discussion yesterday demanded enhancement of taxes on tobacco products for the sake of saving many people from various non-contagious diseases caused by tobacco consumption, reports BSS.
They also called for making pictorial health warnings in upper 50 per cent area of tobacco packages mandatory immediately. Sale of loose or single stick of cigarettes and bidis, and unpackaged smokeless tobacco products should be prohibited. Mobile courts must be deployed to stop illegal promotion of tobacco products.
They viewed more than 4.60 crore people use tobacco products, both smokers and non-smokers, and 12 lakh of them are infected with various diseases like lung cancer, brain haemorrhage, heart and respiratory tract infections and around 57,000 of the infected patients die every year.
Moreover, around Taka 5,100 crore are being spent for treatment purposes of the infected patients yearly. Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA) in association with Association for Community Development (ACD) organised the regional meeting held at ACD’s conference hall demanding enhanced taxes on all tobacco products including bidi and cigarettes. PROGGA and Bloomberg Philanthropies supported the meeting.
Ehsanul Amin Emon, Project Coordinator of ACD, who spoke on the occasion as focal person, said proper execution of the tobacco control law has become an urgent need to protect many non-smokers from passive smoking.
He said Bangladesh is one of the highest tobacco using countries that has now become a matter of grave concern. Social movement is also needed to ensure hundred percent smoke-free public places and transports for freeing millions of second hand and passive smoking from various harmful effects, he added.
He defined that the frequent and indiscriminate smoking in the public places and transports affected the non-smokers more than direct smokers. Emon alleged that some of the tobacco companies are expanding their market promotional activities everywhere in the name of corporate social responsibilities that must be resisted for the sake sound public health.
According to the government decision, the tobacco factories and companies will have to insert pictorial warning signs on their tobacco products by March 19 to make people aware of adverse impacts of tobacco on human health.  He said it is mandatory to insert pictorial warnings on the upper 50 per cent area of packets of all kinds of tobacco products, bidi, cigarette, gul and jarda.
With ATMA Member Ahsan Habib in the chair, journalists Mamunur Rashid, Ahsan Habib Apu, Ziaul Haque Zia, Paritosh Chowdhury and Sohel Mahbub also spoke.

Extra taxes can reduce tobacco consumers, say speakers

RAJSHAHI: Journalists and development activists at a participatory discussion yesterday demanded enhancement of taxes on tobacco products for the sake of saving many people from various non-contagious diseases caused by tobacco consumption, reports BSS. They also called for making pictorial health warnings in upper 50 per cent area of tobacco packages mandatory immediately. Sale of loose or single stick of cigarettes and bidis, and unpackaged smokeless tobacco products should be prohibited. Mobile courts must be deployed to stop illegal promotion of tobacco products. They viewed more than 4.60 crore people use tobacco products, both smokers and non-smokers, and 12 lakh of them are infected with various diseases like lung cancer, brain haemorrhage, heart and respiratory tract infections and around 57,000 of the infected patients die every year. Moreover, around Taka 5,100 crore are being spent for treatment purposes of the infected patients yearly. Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA) in association with Association for Community Development (ACD) organised the regional meeting held at ACDs conference hall demanding enhanced taxes on all tobacco products including bidi and cigarettes. PROGGA and Bloomberg Philanthropies supported the meeting. Ehsanul Amin Emon, Project Coordinator of ACD, who spoke on the occasion as focal person, said proper execution of the tobacco control law has become an urgent need to protect many non-smokers from passive smoking. He said Bangladesh is one of the highest tobacco using countries that has now become a matter of grave concern. Social movement is also needed to ensure hundred percent smoke-free public places and transports for freeing millions of second hand and passive smoking from various harmful effects, he added. He defined that the frequent and indiscriminate smoking in the public places and transports affected the non-smokers more than direct smokers. Emon alleged that some of the tobacco companies are expanding their market promotional activities everywhere in the name of corporate social responsibilities that must be resisted for the sake sound public health. According to the government decision, the tobacco factories and companies will have to insert pictorial warning signs on their tobacco products by March 19 to make people aware of adverse impacts of tobacco on human health. He said it is mandatory to insert pictorial warnings on the upper 50 per cent area of packets of all kinds of tobacco products, bidi, cigarette, gul and jarda. With ATMA Member Ahsan Habib in the chair, journalists Mamunur Rashid, Ahsan Habib Apu, Ziaul Haque Zia, Paritosh Chowdhury and Sohel Mahbub also spoke.