PROGGA, ATMA say tobacco-related daily death toll major obstacle in achieving SDGs

Advocacy platforms Knowledge for Progress (PROGGA) and the Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA) have called on authorities to immediately strengthen tobacco control law citing the health issues caused by smoking as a major obstacle in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The organisations held a roundtable discussion on Thursday at CIRDAP Auditorium in Dhaka, titled “Strengthening of Tobacco Control Law to Safeguard Public Health and Achieving SDGs: Bangladesh Perspective”.

“Tobacco is one of the major contributing factors to non-communicable deaths (NCDs). The prevalence of tobacco use claims nearly 442 lives each day in Bangladesh,” a media statement read on Thursday.

“It is quite impossible for the country to achieve Target 3.4 of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), i.e. reducing premature mortality from non-communicable diseases by one third, without ensuring effective tobacco control,” it added.

Against this backdrop, public health experts, doctors and economists have called for immediate strengthening of the country's tobacco control law, it said.

Delay in strengthening tobacco control law will only result in a higher death toll, the meeting discussed.

The United Nations’ 2030 Agenda, adopted in 2015, makes it obligatory for the governments to ensure proper implementation of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) so that it can help countries achieve health-related Goal '3A'. It should be noted that Bangladesh is one of the first signatory countries of FCTC, according to the statement.

The rest of the media statement is as follows:

Speakers at the roundtable also said that deaths and illnesses caused by tobacco use not only frustrates SDG-3 related targets (Good Health and Well-being), but also impacts other goals and targets of SDGs.

A study estimates that 5 percent of the total income of a tobacco-user family is spent on tobacco consumption and 10 percent of its monthly expense goes to the treatment of tobacco-related diseases.

Bangladesh spends nearly Tk 305 billion each year in treating tobacco-related illnesses. This is how tobacco use makes the poor even poorer and hinders achieving SDG-1: No Poverty. Moreover, the expansion of tobacco cultivation in over 40,400 hectares of arable land throughout the country is gradually putting the achievement of food security and sustainable agriculture (SDG-2) in jeopardy.

In Bangladesh, about 30 percent of the total deforestation occurs for curing tobacco leaves. Child labour is being used in manufacturing bidi.

Cigarette filters, polyethene cover of cigarette packets and little plastic containers of jarda and gul are significant pollutants of the environment. This is how tobacco production and use work as a major impediment in achieving almost all the goals of SDGs.

In her speech as the chief guest of the event, Rasheda K Choudhury, former advisor to 2007-08 Caretaker Government and Executive Director, Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE), said: “We must ensure a 100 percent smoke-free environment to protect non-smokers including women and children. There is no alternative to strengthening tobacco control law to achieve that goal.”

Dr Abu Jamil Faisel, public health expert and president-elect of Public Health Association said: “Tobacco is responsible for cancer, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and other non-communicable diseases. There is no alternative to strengthening tobacco control law to achieve SDGs.”

Dr Mahfuz Kabir, research director of Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) and member of Local Government Reform Commission said: “Tobacco companies often intimidate policymakers by saying that such action may cause a loss in revenue inflow. Such claim is utterly baseless, as shown in revenue earning data gathered by NBR. However, in the long run, we must curb our dependence on tobacco-related revenue and formulate plan on how to increase revenue earnings from other sources.”

Dr Syed Abdul Hamid, professor at the Institute of Health Economics of the University of Dhaka said: “The tobacco control law must be strengthened to safeguard public health. This will benefit both the public and the government.”

Dr Abdun Noor Tushar, physician and media personality, said: “We must emphasise on preventive measures, rather than focusing on treatment of illnesses. Tobacco control should be put on the priority list of the government.”

Dr Anupam Hossain, public health expert and consultant of International Sports Development said, “We see a massive spike of e-cigarette use among the youth. The harm of e-cigarette is quite similar to that caused by traditional tobacco products. These emerging tobacco products must be banned through amendment of tobacco control law.”

Zahirul Alam, head of news, NTV, said, “Mass media of Bangladesh is playing a meaningful role in ensuring tobacco control in Bangladesh. Such role must be continued to expedite the passage of tobacco control law amendment.”

Among the discussants of the event were Mortuza Haider Liton, convener, ATMA; ABM Zubair, executive director, PROGGA; and representatives of other anti-tobacco organisations. During the event, members of the 'Pratyasha' anti drug's club youth group raised placards in support of the amendment initiative of the tobacco control law. The event was hosted by Nadira Kiron, co-convener of ATMA whereas Hasan Shariar, Head of Tobacco Control, PROGGA presented key notes.

Notably, currently, 35.3 percent of all adults in Bangladesh use tobacco on a regular basis. To reduce the detrimental effect of tobacco in public health, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in 2021 took initiative to amend the tobacco control law. An advisory committee has already been formed to make necessary changes in the draft of the amendment. The preliminary draft includes elimination of designated smoking areas (DSAs), point-of-sale display of tobacco products. banning corporate social responsibility programmes of tobacco companies, banning loose sale of tobacco products, and banning the production, import and marketing of e-cigarette, vaping and heated tobacco products.