UNB, Dhaka :
ADHUNIK (We Prevent Smoking), the nation’s first and leading anti-tobacco organisation founded by National Professor Dr Nurul Islam, has placed a six-point proposal to Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury.
An eight-member delegation of ADHUNIK led by Amanullah Khan, President, ADHUNIK and Chairman, UNB met the Speaker at her Sangsad
Bhaban office on Thursday and submitted the proposals to her.
They sought support from the top level of the government in favour of more stringent policy measures and strengthening the monitoring and oversight functions designed to curb the growing menace of tobacco consumption in the country.
The proposals were submitted ahead of the May 31 World No Tobacco Day for speedy implementation of the objectives of the Smoking and Tobacco Products Usages (Control) Act 2005 as amended in 2013 and putting in place additional safeguards against the deadly spread of tobacco scourge.
Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury appreciated the various aspects of the health issues posed by tobacco and the anti-tobacco legislation and its enforcement highlighted by the campaigners present in the meeting.
She assured the delegates of her full support and cooperation in their efforts to carry forward the movement to contain the tobacco epidemic.
The ADHUNIK delegates proposed to raise tax on tobacco particularly on lower grade cigarettes and bidis by 200 percent, which will save the hard-earned money of the poor and also improve their health by compelling them to quit the smoking habit due to high prices.
They also suggested loans on easy terms should be provided to farmers willing to switch over to alternative food and healthy cash crop cultivation. They also urged the government to frame rules and regulations for motivating farmers to discontinue the cultivation of tobacco and replace it with alternative crop farming over a specific timeframe.
Articles on ill effects of tobacco and smoking should be included in the school textbooks of classes VIII, IX and X, as these groups of students are particularly vulnerable to tobacco epidemic, they suggested adding that in the past the articles of National Professor Dr Nurul Islam on ill effects of tobacco and smoking were included in the school textbooks. These have been later dropped.
They further proposed to pursuade all the print and electronic, including Radio and TV channels to publish and broadcast reports, articles, messages and programmes in their media to raise awareness among the public about the health hazards of tobacco uses and arrange panel discussions by experts, activists and other stakeholders in the media outlets on a regular basis.
ADHUNIK (We Prevent Smoking), the nation’s first and leading anti-tobacco organisation founded by National Professor Dr Nurul Islam, has placed a six-point proposal to Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury.
An eight-member delegation of ADHUNIK led by Amanullah Khan, President, ADHUNIK and Chairman, UNB met the Speaker at her Sangsad
Bhaban office on Thursday and submitted the proposals to her.
They sought support from the top level of the government in favour of more stringent policy measures and strengthening the monitoring and oversight functions designed to curb the growing menace of tobacco consumption in the country.
The proposals were submitted ahead of the May 31 World No Tobacco Day for speedy implementation of the objectives of the Smoking and Tobacco Products Usages (Control) Act 2005 as amended in 2013 and putting in place additional safeguards against the deadly spread of tobacco scourge.
Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury appreciated the various aspects of the health issues posed by tobacco and the anti-tobacco legislation and its enforcement highlighted by the campaigners present in the meeting.
She assured the delegates of her full support and cooperation in their efforts to carry forward the movement to contain the tobacco epidemic.
The ADHUNIK delegates proposed to raise tax on tobacco particularly on lower grade cigarettes and bidis by 200 percent, which will save the hard-earned money of the poor and also improve their health by compelling them to quit the smoking habit due to high prices.
They also suggested loans on easy terms should be provided to farmers willing to switch over to alternative food and healthy cash crop cultivation. They also urged the government to frame rules and regulations for motivating farmers to discontinue the cultivation of tobacco and replace it with alternative crop farming over a specific timeframe.
Articles on ill effects of tobacco and smoking should be included in the school textbooks of classes VIII, IX and X, as these groups of students are particularly vulnerable to tobacco epidemic, they suggested adding that in the past the articles of National Professor Dr Nurul Islam on ill effects of tobacco and smoking were included in the school textbooks. These have been later dropped.
They further proposed to pursuade all the print and electronic, including Radio and TV channels to publish and broadcast reports, articles, messages and programmes in their media to raise awareness among the public about the health hazards of tobacco uses and arrange panel discussions by experts, activists and other stakeholders in the media outlets on a regular basis.
