Doctors demand immediate amendment to tobacco law to protect youth

Young Doctors on Thursday urged the government to amend the Tobacco Control law to make all public spaces fully smoke-free.

They made the call from a human chain titled “Amend the Tobacco Control Law Now to Protect Youth”, formed in front of the Jatiya Press Club. The event was organized by the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh.

They said more than 161,000 people in Bangladesh die prematurely each year due to tobacco-related diseases—deaths that are entirely preventable.

The young doctors participating in the demonstration said that by addressing the weaknesses of the current tobacco control law through necessary amendments, the rate of premature deaths and health risks from tobacco could be significantly reduced.

They said in alignment with the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), six critical amendments must be made: Ban Designated Smoking Areas (DSA) to ensure 100% smoke-free public places and public transport; Prohibit the display of tobacco products at points of sale to reduce appeal to youth and potential users; Completely ban all forms of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities by tobacco companies; Protect adolescents and youth from the harmful effects of e-cigarettes and emerging tobacco products; Increase the size of pictorial health warnings on tobacco packaging from 50% to 90%; Ban the sale of single sticks, unpackaged, and loose smokeless tobacco products.

Speakers highlighted the alarming prevalence of tobacco use in Bangladesh, noting that 35.3% of the adult population are tobacco users. Additionally, an estimated 38.4 million non-smokers are exposed to secondhand smoke in public places and transport daily.

Abdur Razzak, a student of Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and member of Sandhani Central Committee, said tobacco products are often displayed openly near educational institutions, enticing minors. “To protect our future generations, banning such displays through law reform is essential,” he said.

Dr. Farzana Moon, Joint General Secretary of Platform Doctors Foundation, criticised tobacco companies’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) campaigns, calling them deceptive.

“They sell death on one hand while trying to appear benevolent through community initiatives. This is nothing short of a farce—killers disguised as saviors,” she said Dr. 

The event was attended by Naimul Azam Khan, Advisor to the Tobacco Control Program at the National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute; Abdus Salam Mia, Program Manager at Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids; alongside more than a hundred medical students from various institutions, tobacco control advocates, and media professionals.