Speakers at an advocacy meeting in Rajshahi unequivocally called for proper enforcement of the amended tobacco control law to free the public health from various non-contagious diseases caused by tobacco uses.
They viewed gross violation of the prevailing Tobacco Control Act continues at the restricted areas including public places threatening public health almost everywhere.
There is no alternative to free the public transports and public places from smoking to protect the non-smokers from passive smoking. Frequent and indiscriminate smoking in the public places and transports affect the non-smokers more than that of the direct smokers, they defined.
District Taskforce Committee to Control Smoking and Tobacco Products and Association for Community Development (ACD) jointly organized the meeting titled “Enforcement of Smoking and Tobacco Control Law” held at the conference hall of Deputy Commissioner on Wednesday.
With Dr Dewan Shahriar Firoj, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) in the chair, Civil Surgeon Dr Abdus Sobhan, Panel Mayor of Rajshahi City Corporation Nurun Nahar Begum, Deputy Director of Islamic Foundation Monirul Islam and Deputy Director of Department of Youth Development Motiur Rahman spoke on the occasion,
In his concept paper presentation, Enhasul Amin Emon, Program Coordinator of ACD, narrated various demerits of smocking and uses of other tobacco products. He said imposing restriction on smoking in public places and transports is very important for protecting many non-smokers from various chronic diseases caused by smoking.
The discussants said forging social movement has become an urgent need for ensuring hundred percent smoke-free public places and transports for freeing millions of second hand and passive smoking from various harmful effects.
Dr Abdus Sobhan said the uses of tobacco items cause many non-communicable diseases like cancers, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, tuberculosis and chronic respiratory disease.
He alleged that some of the tobacco companies are expanding their market promotional activities everywhere in the name of corporate social responsibilities, which must be resisted.
He observed that most of the people of our country are illiterate, yet pictorial tobacco health warning has not been incorporated in our country which clearly hinders people from knowing the impacts of tobacco products.
Among others, Additional Deputy Director of Department of Agriculture Extension Sirajul Islam, District Children Affairs Officer Mosharraf Hossain Prodhan, President of Rajshahi Press Club Anwarul Alam, Women Affairs Officer Shahnaz Begum and Assistant Director of Bangladesh Betar Nasrin Begum also spoke.
