Anti-tobacco organisations have demanded imposing ban on E-cigarette in Bangladesh. A total of 11 organisations made the demand on the occasion of the World No Tobacco Day-2020.
Tobacco Control and Research Cell (TCRC) of Dhaka International University issued a press statement over the matter on Sunday. The other anti-tobacco platforms expressed their solidarity with the statement. The organisations asked for banning E-cigarette immediately.
The 11 organisations who made the demand of imposing ban on E-cigarettes are: Aid Foundation, Bangladesh Anti-Tobacco Alliance (BATA), Bangladesh Network for Tobacco Tax Policy (BNTTP), Bangladesh Cancer Society, Dhaka Ahsania Mission, Grambangla Development Committee, NATAB, Pratashya Anti-Drug Organization and Work for a Better Bangladesh (WBB Trust).
It was said in the statement, “Emerging tobacco products (Vapors, E-cigarette) are the latest instruments to get the youth addicted to tobacco products. Tobacco industry has deliberately been promoting these products to influence the young people into using them. "
"Each year, nearly 1,26,000 people die from tobacco related diseases in Bangladesh and to close that gap, the younger generation is targeted by the industry as their new clientele. On World No Tobacco Day 2020, we are calling upon the government to completely ban the emerging tobacco products (Vapors, E-Cigarettes) in Bangladesh to protect youths.”
The statement also said recently the ‘Union Position Paper on E-cigarette and HTP sales in LMICs' published by the international public health organization The Union mentioned that young people in low-middle income countries are the primary targets of tobacco industry. For this reason, the Union recommends that E-Cigarettes should be banned in such countries.
TCRC of Dhaka International University found in a study that E-cigarette shops are mostly located around the university campuses in order to attract the young people. They have also been advertising illegally on Facebook, Youtube and other social media platforms to boost their sells.
Dr Gan Quan, Director of Tobacco Control, The Union said that most countries are currently battling with the tobacco epidemic and an emergent addictive product will not only deteriorate the public health concerns but also stall the implementation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).
Barrister Shameem Haider Patwary, MP, said that in the United Sates, usage of E-cigarette has been identified as an epidemic. The government should take step for banning the product in Bangladesh. It is high time to ban it in Bangladesh. he added.
Talking to the Bangladesh Post, Advocate Syed Mahbubul Alam Tahin, technical adviser of The Union, said that a total of 24 countries have already banned e-cigarettes. Bangladesh should also enact a legislation in this regard. The websites selling the products should be shut down immediately, he added.
