Public Health on Top

Enam Medical College, Association for Community Empowerment (ACE), and the UK-based Centre for Substance Use Research (CSUR) are going to launch a study on the adverse impacts of smoking and potential alternatives to reduce such effects in Bangladesh. The study will be supported by Foundation for Smoke-free World (FSFW) which is a front organization funded by multinational tobacco giant Philip Morris International (PMI). In addition, CSUR UK is also infamous for conducting studies on behalf of tobacco companies. The World Health Organization (WHO) and FCTC Secretariat have advised govt. and non-govt. bodies not to get involved with organizations of such nature.

Recently the National Board of Revenue (NBR) has sent a letter addressed to the Secretary of the Health Services Division, expressing its concern regarding the draft amendment of the tobacco control law. It should be noted that British American Tobacco Bangladesh (BATB) previously sent a letter to NBR, urging the letter to interfere in the amendment process on the company's behalf. On the other hand, Bangladesh Electronic Nicotine Delivery System Traders Association (BENDSTA) has been campaigning for the elimination of the amendment proposal that bans the import, sale, and marketing of e-cigarettes and vape products. BENDSTA often quotes an estimation made by the US-based Consumer Choice Centre (CCC) where CCC claimed that introducing vaping would result in 6.2 million smokers quitting traditional cigarettes. However, CCC itself is an entity funded by the tobacco industry, particularly Japan Tobacco International (JTI) and Philip Morris International (PMI).

All the proposals included in the draft amendment are time-fitting and essential to safeguard public health. We hope that the government will not succumb to the ill tactics of tobacco companies and finalize the proposals at the earliest.