Anti-tobacco activists at a meeting stressed taking a comprehensive effort to ensure strict enforcement of the tobacco control law aiming to build a tobacco-free nation by 2040.
They said tobacco companies are changing their strategies to allure farmers offering lucrative incentives to cultivate tobacco and conducting publicity to increase sales of tobacco products, violating the Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) Act and its rules.
Rangpur District administration and Association for Community Development (ACD) jointly arranged the advocacy meeting at the conference room of the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Rangpur on the eighteenth instant, with support from Bloomberg Philanthropies and Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK).
Chaired by Additional District Magistrate Abu Rafa Md Arif, the meeting
was addressed, among others, by Senior District Information Officer Humayun
Kobir, Deputy Director of the Department of Social Services Abdur Razzaque,
Assistant Director of BRTA Abdul Kuddus, Director of Rangpur Chamber
Khemchand Somani Rabi, District Women Affairs Officer Kawser Pervin and Focal
Person for Tobacco Control Coalition Shushanto Bhowmick.
ACD Project Coordinator Ehsanul Amin Emon made a presentation
highlighting the government initiatives taken to check the violation of the
tobacco control laws.
He discussed the health hazards caused by tobacco use, enforcement of the
tobacco control laws and the tactful strategies and influence of the tobacco
companies.
Representatives from government departments, members of law enforcing
agencies, anti-tobacco activists, civil society members, professionals and
journalists took part in the meeting.
