BSS, Rajshahi :
Speakers at a participatory discussion here on Tuesday unequivocally called for proper enforcement of the amended tobacco control law to free the public places and transports from smoking for the sake of making the public health free from various non-contagious diseases.
They viewed that gross violation of the Tobacco Control Act continues in restricted areas including public places and transport especially railway stations and bus terminals threatening public health almost everywhere.
There is no alternative to freeing the transports and public places from smoking to protect the non-smokers from passive smoking. Frequent and random smoking in these places affects the non-smokers more than those of the direct smokers, they added.
The observations came at a daylong quarterly project coordination and project management committee meeting titled “Strengthening Tobacco Control in Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions” held at the conference hall of Association for Community Development (ACD) in the city. ACD and Consortium for Smoke Free Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions jointly organized the discussion in association with Campaign for Tobacco-free Kids (CTFK) and Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Country Director of CTFK Shariful Islam and its Programme Manager Dr Mahfizur Rahman addressed the programme as focal persons with Salima Sarwar, Executive Director of ACD, in the chair. During his keynote presentation, Ehsanul Amin Emon, Project Coordinator of ACD, said around 57,000 people die and nearly 12 lakh people become disabled every year in the country due to tobacco-related diseases.
He alleged that tobacco companies are expanding their market promotional activities in the name of corporate social responsibilities, which must be resisted.
Tactical marketing maneuvering by tobacco companies inducing youngsters as new smokers defying and bypassing restrictive law is advancing unabated in Rajshahi and its adjacent areas, he added.
The discussants urged authorities concerned to raise tax on tobacco to curb its widespread use. They also demanded the inclusion of pictorial images on cigarette packets to discourage smoking. Besides, coordination among the key stakeholders, awareness building and capacity development, law enforcement particularly mobile court operation could be vital strategies for effective implementation of the law, they added.
Speakers at a participatory discussion here on Tuesday unequivocally called for proper enforcement of the amended tobacco control law to free the public places and transports from smoking for the sake of making the public health free from various non-contagious diseases.
They viewed that gross violation of the Tobacco Control Act continues in restricted areas including public places and transport especially railway stations and bus terminals threatening public health almost everywhere.
There is no alternative to freeing the transports and public places from smoking to protect the non-smokers from passive smoking. Frequent and random smoking in these places affects the non-smokers more than those of the direct smokers, they added.
The observations came at a daylong quarterly project coordination and project management committee meeting titled “Strengthening Tobacco Control in Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions” held at the conference hall of Association for Community Development (ACD) in the city. ACD and Consortium for Smoke Free Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions jointly organized the discussion in association with Campaign for Tobacco-free Kids (CTFK) and Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Country Director of CTFK Shariful Islam and its Programme Manager Dr Mahfizur Rahman addressed the programme as focal persons with Salima Sarwar, Executive Director of ACD, in the chair. During his keynote presentation, Ehsanul Amin Emon, Project Coordinator of ACD, said around 57,000 people die and nearly 12 lakh people become disabled every year in the country due to tobacco-related diseases.
He alleged that tobacco companies are expanding their market promotional activities in the name of corporate social responsibilities, which must be resisted.
Tactical marketing maneuvering by tobacco companies inducing youngsters as new smokers defying and bypassing restrictive law is advancing unabated in Rajshahi and its adjacent areas, he added.
The discussants urged authorities concerned to raise tax on tobacco to curb its widespread use. They also demanded the inclusion of pictorial images on cigarette packets to discourage smoking. Besides, coordination among the key stakeholders, awareness building and capacity development, law enforcement particularly mobile court operation could be vital strategies for effective implementation of the law, they added.
