THE absence of enforcement of law to combat smoking is increasing smoking at public places at an alarming rate, news report in a national daily yesterday said blaming the neglect of the authorities concerned to stop smoking at public places and protect non-smokers from its adverse affect.
It appears that we have the legislation titled ‘The Smoking and Use of Tobacco Products (Control) Act- 2005 in place; which even prohibits smoking at certain scheduled corner in some public places. But to nobody’s care, many are smoking in public transports, educational institutions, hospitals and restaurants, libraries and such other places polluting the air. They are giving the impression that there is nothing as such which prohibits smoking at public places. The law provides for a fine of Tk 300 for breaking the law but there is hardly any enforcement of the law.
Anti-tobacco campaigners are repeatedly making their concern known over the issue running public awareness campaigns to warn people of the adverse effect of smoking that include cancers and such other dreaded diseases. But the damaging affects of smoking have been left largely unheeded.
Many wonder why the government is not taking resolute actions to stop smoking in public places but it is not unknown to them also the power of the tobacco producers lobby who are running cigarette factories to tobacco plantation in the field to hold firmly on their business. So the cautionary warning that ‘tobacco kills’ and consumption of tobacco in the form of smoking and other forms is going on unabated.
According to a survey report in Bangladesh, each year 57,000 people die from smoking and other use of tobacco who are above the age of 30 and another 3.82 lakhs sustain disabilities for its use. It is true that with the funding of the World Health Organization, the government has established the National Tobacco Control Cell for the enforcement of the Anti-Tobacco Law and carrying out research on other health risks. But the absence of a strong move is failing to reign in the growing danger and unless the government takes the issue seriously, danger to public health will only continue to hit hard the society.
Restrictions on smoking is very tight all over the world, even one has to walk a long distance at any international airport to discover a smoking room behind so many walls only show that it is a degraded habit and needs to be abandoned. But airports in Bangladesh have not only virtually remained open place for smokers there is not enough step to restrict it.
We call for growing awareness to abandon smoking and for strict enforcement of law to stop its break.
