State Minister for Youth and Sports Zahid Ahsan Russel stressed the need for raising awareness among the country’s people to discourage tobacco consumption alongside pursuing tax related measures.
The state minister said this recently while addressing a virtual dialogue as chief guest on discouraging youths from taking tobacco through increasing tax in the budget for FY22. The Development Journalist Forum of Bangladesh (DJFB) and Development Organization of the Rural Poor (DORP) jointly organized the virtual dialogue.
General Economics Division (GED) member of the Planning Commission Dr Shamsul Alam spoke at the dialogue as special guest while MA Matin, MP, renowned actor Ilias Kanchan, DORP Chairman Azhar Ali Talukder, Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids (CTFK), Bangladesh lead policy Adviser M Mustafizur Rahman, DJFB president Humayun Kabir, DORP programmed coordinator Rubina Islam, DJFB Vice President Hamiduzzaman Mamun, general secretary Arifur Rahman, DORP deputy director Mohammad Jobaer Hasan, headmistress of Bhola Shibpur Girls School Nurunnahar Begum spoke, among others, at the dialogue moderated by DJFB executive committee member Shushanto Sinha.
Tobacco control program head of PROGGA Hasan Shahriar made the key-note presentation at the dialogue.
Mentioning that Bangladesh is one of the most tobacco consuming countries of the world, Russel said that the youths are heavily leaning towards tobacco as around one third of the country’s overall population is now consuming tobacco products.
“Our target will not be attained if we can’t refrain our youths from tobacco intake. Around 49% of the youths aged below 24 are taking tobacco products and it’s a very alarming scenario…….not only by increasing tax, but we’ll also have to raise awareness to stop the use of tobacco,” he added.
The State Minister also highlighted a number of steps to discourage the use of tobacco that include raising tax on tobacco products, discouraging youths and juveniles, on tobacco use, through parents and educational institutions.
Listing various steps of the government to protect the youths from the vicious cycle of drug, Russel said that mini stadiums or playing grounds are being set up at upazilas alongside entertainment centers to divert the youth folk from taking drugs.
Russel also mentioned that he always plays a strong role in parliament to raise tax on tobacco and in continuation of this he would try to raise tax on tobacco in the next budget.
GED member of the Planning Commission Prof Dr Shamsul Alam said that the youths should be refrained from various bad habits. “There is a debate on stopping the use of tobacco. Discussion should be held whether the youths will lean towards large-scale drug addiction if small scale addiction is controlled,” he added.
Popular actor Ilias Kanchan said there is a need to make a tobacco-free Bangladesh to turn the country into a developed one by 2041. “Tobacco is a harmful product and there is a need to raise tax on tobacco,” he added.
In his presentation, Shahriar said that around four crore people of the country are now consuming tobacco products while there is a need to reduce the usage of tobacco by 1.5 times every year to make a tobacco free country by 2040.
