BSS, Rangpur :Increasing tobacco cultivation and use of tobacco products at public places violating the amended Tobacco Control Act (TCA) have been posing threat to food security and public health, speakers said Sunday.They also asked the journalists for multi-sectoral media reporting on tobacco hazards to create stronger public opinion in discouraging tobacco cultivation and strictly enforcing the amended TCA to free public places from smoking and use of tobacco products.They were addressing the regional meeting organised by Anti Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA) for its members with assistances of Association for Community Development (ACD) at the Regional Office of ACD in the city.The ATMA member journalists of the print, electronic and online media from Rangpur region participated in the meeting with ATMA member and Rangpur Correspondent of the Daily Sangbad and ETV Liyakat Ali Badal in the chair.Project Coordinator of ACD Ehsanul Amin Emon narrated present tobacco cultivation situation, different aspects and violation of the amended TCA, health hazards of smoking in public places and success achieved so far by ATMA in the anti- tobacco campaign.Journalist members of ATMA Kashinath Das, ABS Litan, Rafik Sarker, Manik Sarker Manik, Merina Lovely, Mamun Islam, Mahbubul Islam, Dr Noor-E-Hasin Disha, SM Piyal and Asaduzzaman Afzal addressed, among others.The speakers stressed for more media reporting on the threat of increasing tobacco farming to serial food production, health hazards and stressed for improving the situation through stopping smoking in public places, transports and using tobacco products.They also discussed frequent violation of the amended TCA and role of media for its proper enforcement to improve tobacco control situation for saving many human lives from tobacco catastrophes.Putting high emphasis on filing more investigative reports on hazardous impacts of smoking in public places and using tobacco products, they asked ATMA members for disclosing all these information and slower pace in enforcing the amended TCA.They urged the journalists for upholding their professional obligation by disclosing violation of the amended TCA through objective media reporting to draw attention of the concerned authorities and create pressure on them to ensure strict enforcement of the Act.
