Global advocacy group calls for evidence-based tobacco regulation in Bangladesh

Global advocacy group We Are Innovation (WAI) has urged the Bangladesh government to reconsider proposed amendments to the Smoking and Tobacco Product Usage Act, warning that a ban on innovative nicotine products (INPs) could be counterproductive.

In an open letter, WAI, a network of over 45 think tanks, foundations, and NGOs dedicated to harnessing innovation’s power to address pressing global challenges, outlined strategies that have successfully reduced smoking rates in countries such as Sweden, the UK, and New Zealand.

Drawing on its 2024 Effective Anti-smoking Policies Global Index and Path to Smoke-free platform, WAI argues that integrating INPs into tobacco control could save up to 920,000 lives in Bangladesh.

The group warned that prohibition could fuel black markets and undermine harm reduction efforts.

WAI letter says Sweden’s 5.3 per cent smoking rate—the lowest in Europe—demonstrates the effectiveness of a regulatory approach that combines anti-smoking measures with access to alternatives such as vapes, nicotine pouches, and heated tobacco products, the letter stated.

The letter cited global success stories, including Czechia’s 7 per cent smoking reduction since 2020 due to lower taxes on vaping, Greece’s 6 per cent decline aided by transparent risk communication, Japan’s 52 per cent drop in cigarette sales following heated tobacco regulation, and New Zealand’s decline from 16.4 per cent in 2011 to 6.8 per cent in 2023 through vaping promotion.

WAI urged a regulatory framework that maintains strict controls on cigarettes while allowing regulated INPs, ensures product quality and safety, implements youth protections without restricting adult access, adopts risk-based taxation to encourage switching to less harmful alternatives, provides transparent consumer information, and fosters innovation in harm reduction.