Vape Campaign using Health Ministry's Identity
Dr. Rajib Joarder, claiming to be an official of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MOHFW), Bangladesh (posted in Surgery Dept. of Dhaka Medical College) was found publicly endorsing vaping in a video published in VoV Bangladesh, a Facebook page, run by Bangladesh Electronic Nicotine Delivery System Traders Association (BENDSTA). Such enthusiastic endorsement is shocking since the Ministry has publicly declared that it is considering a possible ban on the production, import and marketing of e-cigarettes, vaping, and other emerging tobacco products (ETPs).
What the video says
In the video uploaded on 10 December 2020, Mr. Joarder is found talking about "the beginning of [his] vaping story." He claimed that "the vaping industry is booming". Contradicting with several statements from the World Health Organization (WHO) and other widely-accepted research works, Mr. Joarder claimed that "Vaping is 100 percent safe." While discussing vaping and the "blooming" of the vaping industry, he also associated himself with this, saying, "Those who are talking against us do not have a legitimate logic."
However, the involvement of Mr. Joarder, a govt. employee, in BENDSTA and the vaping industry in general, is still unclear. In the video, he was seen having a conversation and vaping together with Schumann Zaman, the president of BENDSTA.
Mr. Joarder admitted that vaping is an addiction but indicating that it may be a good addiction. Mr. Joarder also announced that there is a plan to invite and bring the world’s “high-end vape gear collectors” to Bangladesh after Covid-19 pandemic. He also applauded Voice of Vapers (VoV) as a “very very very very effective initiative” and urged the viewers to “join the Voice of Vapers,” to make the policymakers “acknowledge that vaping is good.”
Comment from PROGGA
1. Such intense endorsement of vaping from a general physician and most importantly, from a MoHFW official is extremely concerning and it raises question about MoHFW’s integrity regarding their commitment to tobacco control. The video also raises question about conflict of interest. Mr. Joarder’s liaison with BENDSTA and vaping industry needs to be investigated further. It should be noted that MoHFW is the lead ministry in tobacco control in Bangladesh.
2. VoV Bangladesh is a Facebook page that has been spreading rumors targeting the youth to start vaping. The page has previously claimed that "Vaping could be the answer to avoid cancer", "WHO Europe Office has endorsed vaping", "Vaping keeps the lungs unharmed", and so on. A govt. official endorsing vaping in a platform that has been working as a rumor-machine is a worrying trend and will have far-reaching consequences if not addressed immediately”.
3. Mr. Joarder’s claim that “vaping is 100 percent safe” is also far from reality. The World Health Organization (WHO) has, time to time, made it clear that electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) pose a threat to public health. In a WHO newsletter published on 5 February 2020, it was clearly mentioned that "E-cigarettes are harmful to health". In another document, WHO again clearly mentioned that "ENDS emissions typically contain nicotine and other toxic substances that are harmful to both users and those exposed to the vapours secondhand." WHO also mentioned that “There is growing evidence that ENDS could be associated with lung injuries” and dubbed ENDS’ role in smoke cessation as “unclear” WHO statements stand in stark contrast with Mr. Joarder's video, where he claimed that vaping only contains nicotine, not toxic chemicals. The health implications of vaping and the use of other emerging tobacco products has come to the fore with the 2019 outbreak of lung illness linked to vaping products. According to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of February 18, 2020, 2,807 cases or deaths of e-cigarette, or vaping, product use associated lung injury (EVALI) has been reported.
4. A study, published in Nature in 2020, on South Korean male ENDS users has revealed that it does not lead to smoking cessation rather it leads to dual use (both ENDS and conventional cigarette) . Among 7,505 male participants, about 85% of e-cigarette users were dual users with higher cardiovascular risk factors.
In this circumstance, PROGGA wants to draw the attention of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on the above mentioned issues and urges to ban the sale and import of vaping, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products by amending existing tobacco control law. Furthermore, other pro public health organizations are requested to stay alert and raise their voice against the aggressive and false promotions made by the Emerging Tobacco Product (ETP) traders.