A mass media-cum-info-sign campaign was launched on Tuesday to create greater awareness against second-hand smoking among general people through highlighting relevant laws that necessitate people’s attention and compliance.
The campaign, titled in Bengali as “Dhoa (smoke)”, will be aired on TV channels for a period of four weeks from today, said a co-sponsor of the campaign, Vital Strategies.
The 30-second public service announcement shows the harms of second-hand smoke, explains the benefits of Bangladesh’s smoke-free laws and the need for compliance, and draws attention to the new info-sign campaign.
It aims to increase support for and understanding of the need for comprehensive smoke-free laws and help smokers and non-smokers become more confident in asserting their right to breathe air free from second-hand smoke.
State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Zahid Malek formally launched the campaign in the city, saying clearly it was essential to address the issue of second-hand smoke to protect the health of non-smokers, especially women and children.
“We urge people to heed this powerful campaign and insist that smokers respect others’ right to breathe smoke-free air and comply with Bangladesh’s smoke-free laws.”
The info-sign campaign has been designed to feature specific, tailored messages appropriate for 11 different types of establishments– educational institutions, libraries, exhibition centers, hospitals and clinic buildings, cinemas, theaters, restaurants, children’s parks, covered sports and exercise venues, public transport, and hotels.
The signs will be printed and distributed to selected establishments in major metropolitan areas of Bangladesh, said the Vital Strategies, one of The Union affiliates.
“We congratulate Bangladesh’s Government on the launch of this campaign, which shows its continued commitment to protecting the health of Bangladeshis from the deadly harms of tobacco,” said Jose Luis Castro, president and chief executive officer of Vital Strategies.
Castro said the combination of Dhoa’s hard-hitting message to increase awareness and the new info-signs for behavior change, was sure to have a real impact in protecting smokers and non-smokers.
According to The Tobacco Atlas, tobacco is the cause of 14.6 percent of adult male deaths and 5.7 percent of adult female deaths in Bangladesh — more than the average in other low-income countries.
Tobacco-related disease – including stroke – kills almost 100,000 Bangladeshis every year while another 382,000 suffer from chronic illnesses caused by tobacco. Proportionately, more women die from tobacco-related disease because of their exposure to second-hand smoke from husbands and fathers.
While Bangladesh introduced smoke-free laws and strict penalties for breaking those laws in 2013, the law does not cover all public places and includes exemptions. Fully comprehensive smoke-free laws and strong enforcement could help to reduce smoking prevalence and the burden of tobacco-related disease, said the campaigners.
Research shows mass media campaigns are among the most effective means to encourage people to stop using tobacco. Hard-hitting campaigns and images can compel tobacco users to quit, increase their knowledge, and promote behavior change among smokers and non-smokers together.
