Public Health on Top

Globally the tobacco makers are highly strong and influential and they deploy the best marketers to sell their lethal product by avoiding the tobacco control law/ measures of the respective country. The Government of Bangladesh has already enforced the ‘Smoking and Tobacco Products Usages (Control) (Amended) Act 2013’. Though the amended act is stricter, the tobacco companies are seeking loopholes to breach the law to gain their interests. It is true that the stricter laws on public health protection are the harder ones to implement. Multinational tobacco makers are reigning in Bangladesh from a long past and Phillip Morris International (PMI) is one of them that using extraordinary methods to run promotional campaigns. In the name of job fair in the private universities of the capital, the PMI launched a campaign for those students who have crossed their 100 credits. The PMI installs booths and help desks inside the university premises resembling their product and brand – Marlboro cigarette which is a form of indirect advertisement whereas all forms of advertisements of tobacco products is banned by the amended anti-tobacco law. The advertisement of tobacco and tobacco products is entirely prohibited by the law, but another brand – Java Black is being advertised in special manners. Java Black is being produced in Chittagong and mostly is advertised on the container that is placed on a bicycle rode by the company’s sales representative with the call ‘Once You Go BLACK You Never Go Back’ so ‘Be BLACK’. These are the forms of the violation of the amended tobacco control law. Ignoring the law, the tobacco companies are turning strategic to market their products in national and international environment. Besides, tobacco cultivation has increased shockingly (108,000 hectares in the current season and 70,000 in the last season). This is an aggression by tobacco on our croplands and needs to be stopped at any cost to protect the country from food scarcity in the coming days. So, it is wise to take immediate steps to obstruct the increasing trend of tobacco farming. ‘Smoking and Tobacco Products Usages (Control) (Amended) Act 2013’ is a safeguard for public health and only the right implementation of the act can bring the desired result. Tobacco Industry Watch BD is always vigilant to support the implementation of Tobacco Control Law by exposing the death marketing strategies of Tobacco Company among relevant stakeholders.