Anti-tobacco organisations have demanded a ban on e-cigarettes in Bangladesh to save the younger generation of the country from adverse impact of the novel tobacco product.
Bangladesh Anti-Tobacco Alliance (BATA), an umbrella of leading anti-tobacco organisations in the country, made the demand at a press statement on Thursday (October 17). Syeda Ananya Rahman signed the statement on behalf of the anti-tobacco alliance.
In the press statement, BATA argued that although concerted efforts continue in the country to control the tobacco use, the e-cigarette is a new health risk to public health. The use of this harmful tobacco product is increasing at an alarming rate among teenagers and young people, including students of schools and colleges. At least 32 countries have already banned the sale of e-cigarettes. It needs to be banned in Bangladesh in the interest of public health.
It can be mentioned that the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has already proposed to ban the import of e-cigarette as the new tobacco product is very harmful to public health.
However, the tobacco companies are trying to expand the e-cigarette market in Bangladesh tactfully by promoting it as a symbol of style or modernity, claims BATA.
“In the current context, the import policy of the Ministry of Commerce requires banning the import of e-cigarette and related products and withdrawing the HS codes of these products from the product list of the National Board of Revenue (NBR),” says the BATA statement.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), e-cigarette is addictive product. Although it is promoted as an alternative to tobacco or a way to quit smoking, in reality e-cigarette is a new form of
addiction.
E-cigarette causes long-term damage to the lungs, heart and nervous system. Currently, the number of e-cigarette users is less than two per cent, but its addiction and popularity among teenagers and youths is increasing rapidly.
“The interim government has already started the work of reforming the state. Considering the overall situation in public health development, the Bangladesh Anti-Tobacco Alliance (BATA) is calling on the government to take strict action against e-cigarette,” says the statement.
