Death Marketing -2

Awarding tobacco cos’ blocks tobacco control

For the contribution on industrial sector, the Ministry for Industry has awarded British American Tobacco Bangladesh (BATB) in Large Industry category. The government is trying to prevent deaths by formulating and implementing the tobacco control law and by the same time inspiring the death-marketing. Notably, the government has recently amended the tobacco control law to reduce the death and damages caused by tobacco consumption and the Section 5 (C) of the law reads that the tobacco companies shall not be able to distribute any forms of awards for expanding their business, yet the government is awarding the tobacco company which is raising questions for the implementation of the TC law. Tobacco control, public health and sustainable development are closely inter-related. For the greater national benefit, such activities should be stopped.