Reza Mahmud: Anti tobacco law in Bangladesh is paving way for special zone for smoking in public places but it has been proved that such a scope is a serious obstacle of achieving cent percent smoke free places there.
Experts expressed their anxiety over this, saying non-smokers are victimizing as they are being indirect smokers from such special smoking zone as it used to spread smokes while the smokers open doors for enter and leaving.
Besides, the experts said, deadly diseases like cancer are resulted from the indirect smoking.
Meanwhile, data of different sources including health ministry showed that most of the victims of indirect smoking in the country are used to suffer from cancer.
The data also showed that cancer was found as 60 pc of non-preventable diseases infected the people of the country.
In this situation, the anti-tobacco law is on card of amendment, sources said.
Experts urged the government to cancel the provision of keeping smoking zone in public places.
As per the prevail law, smoking is prohibited in the majority of indoor public places and workplaces.
Certain public places may have outdoor designated smoking zones.
Smoking is prohibited in one room means of public transport, but public transport with two or more rooms may have designated smoking zones, as per the law.
As per the experts’ view, the amendment is a major step forward in tobacco control in Bangladesh, where 43 pc of adults use some form of tobacco.
A desirable amendment of the law cancelling the smoking zones in public places will protect more than 13 million women, experts opined.
When contacted, Professor Dr. M. Muzaherul Huq, former Advisor of the World Health Organisation told The New Nation on Wednesday, “Smoking is harmful for smokers and those whom are around them.”
The professor said, “They are secondary smokers who inhale the gas without smoking by themselves. It happens everywhere and even at home where somebody smokes.”
Keeping smokers isolated zones confines the spread only to smokers for a portion only, he warned.
“The law cannot stop smokers from smoking and harming non-smokers completely. We need to change our laws if we want more restrictions for smokers,” he said.
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids (CTFK), Bangladesh’s Lead Policy Advisor MD. Mostafizur Rahman said, the law is on card for amendment.
“Keeping the smoking zones are harming our non-smokers people in offices and other public places constantly,” he said.
It have to be erased by amending the law soon, the expert said.
ABM Zubair, Executive Director of PROGGA said, cancelling the smoking zone from workplaces and all public places is very much important to achieve the target of tobacco free country by 2040 as per the Prime Minister’s announcement.
