National Desk :
Strict enforcement of the amended Tobacco Control Act (TCA) in all the restricted places and transports can be the best ways of saving thousands of non-smokers from passive smoking and human lives.
The use of smoking and non-smoking tobacco products is posing a real threat to human civilisation because those are killing millions of people in the globe annually.
Administrative, police and health officials and other stakeholders came up with the observation while addressing an anti tobacco virtual seminar on Wednesday.
National Tobacco Control Cell and Department of Health Services jointly hosted the divisional level meeting largely attended by government and non-government officials concerned, development activists and journalists.
Commissioner of Rajshahi division Dr Humayun Kabir, Deputy Inspector General of Police Abdul Baten and Divisional Director of Health Services Dr Habibur Ahsan Talukder addressed the meeting as focal persons.
Prof Dr Shakil Ahmed from Dhaka Medical College talked about the devastating impacts of tobacco consumption during his keynote presentation.
Around 57,000 people are dying in Bangladesh annually consuming tobacco products and 1.2m are suffering from lung cancer, cerebra-vascular, coronary artery, chronic obstructive pulmonary and other tobacco-attributable diseases.
He said imposing restrictions on smoking in public places and transports is very important for protecting many non-smokers from various non-communicable diseases caused by smoking.
Frequent smoking in the restricted places affects the non-smokers more than the direct smokers. So, there should be a strong civil society to fight malpractice.
Use of tobacco items causes many non-communicable diseases like cancers, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, tuberculosis and chronic respiratory disorder.
Prof Shakil Ahmed expressed grave concern over gross violation of tobacco control law everywhere in the society and urged the authorities to take punitive measures to resist the violation.
Some tobacco companies are expanding their market through promotional activities in the name of corporate social responsibilities, which must be stopped, he added.
Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Health Services Kazi Jebunnessa Begum highlighted the objectives of the seminar.
In his remarks, Divisional Commissioner Dr Humayun Kabir said the government has amended the law to make it more stringent because of growing tobacco use in the country. As per the law, the selling of cigarettes to those below 18 has been banned.
