Public Health on Top

The Health Ministry took attempts to withdraw the public circular over the printing of graphic health warning (GHW) on the lower 50 percent tobacco packets based on the recent writ petition by some of the anti-tobacco platforms. But with the petition of an organization sprouting from the earth naming ‘Action for Smoking and Health Bangladesh (ASH Bangladesh)’, the implementation of the GHW on the upper portion of tobacco packets has been barred in the High Court (HC) once again until further order, and thus the printing of on the lower portions is going on. Such interference of tobacco companies is for the first time here. Notably, the tobacco control law (2005) got amended in 2013 with the mandatory provision to implement the GHW on tobacco packets. But it took around 22 months to implement the rules of the issues for the interference from the tobacco companies. Following the rules, printing of GHW on the 50 percent upper space of the tobacco packets was made mandatory since March 19, 2016. However, due to the constant interferences of the tobacco companies, the Law Ministry nodded on the interim public circular. Even after passing 11 months of the order, the interim public circular has not been withdrawn. And when the anti-tobacco organizations moved to the Court, the tobacco companies have conducted the interference strategically in the guise of anti-tobacco organization. To control such aggressive and anti-public health activities, the implementation of the FCTC article 5.3 is a growing demand now.