M A Hossain,
Every year, May 31 marks 'World No Tobacco Day', a global observance not merely symbolic but a rallying cry for awareness, policy reform, and collective action. Since its inception by the World Health Organization in 1988, this day has spotlighted tobacco's widespread harms and urged governments and civil societies to curb its grip. The 2025 theme, “Unmasking the Appeal: Exposing Industry Tactics on Tobacco and Nicotine Products”, exposed the manipulative tactics employed by the tobacco industry to lure young consumers—an urgent warning for countries like Bangladesh, where tobacco use has spiraled into a public health emergency, an environmental hazard, and an economic burden.
Bangladesh is at a critical juncture. Tobacco use here is not a matter of individual choice or habit; it is a deeply entrenched public health disaster. According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) report, 35.3 percent of adults (37.8 million) in Bangladesh still use tobacco products, and about 38.4 million adults, even without smoking, are exposed to indirect smoking in various public places, workplaces, and public transport. The repercussions of this crisis are staggering: around 161,000 tobacco-related deaths occur annually, while over 400,000 individuals are left permanently disabled.
These statistics translate into immense healthcare costs. According to the Bangladesh Cancer Society, tobacco-related illnesses account for more than BDT 30,560 crore in annual medical expenses—far exceeding the BDT 22,810 crore collected by the government as revenue from tobacco taxes during the 2017–18 fiscal year. In other words, tobacco is not only killing people but also draining national resources. These losses underscore a grim reality: the financial cost of tobacco far outweighs its perceived economic benefits.
Despite this evidence, the tobacco industry in Bangladesh continues to operate unchecked, leveraging financial influence and subtle propaganda to maintain its market. Their marketing does not rely solely on advertisements—which are now banned in many formats—but on behind-the-scenes lobbying. Influential economists, journalists, and policy advisors are subtly engaged to oppose stricter tobacco control laws.
Even more alarming is the industry's deliberate targeting of low-income groups and youth. By keeping the price of low-tier cigarettes artificially low—only a 22% price increase over the last five years compared to a 32% rise in consumer price index—the industry ensures its products remain accessible to the poor and the young. In real terms, cigarettes have become cheaper, not costlier.
Tobacco companies are also capitalizing on digital platforms and social media to glamorize smoking, especially among young people. These campaigns promote tobacco as a symbol of lifestyle and independence, exploiting adolescent psychology and social insecurity. The future health of a generation is being sacrificed for short-term profits.
Tobacco harms not just individuals, but the environment and food security. Bangladesh produces around 1.3% of global tobacco, yet the crop’s cultivation leads to disproportionate ecological damage. Tobacco farming depletes soil fertility due to high chemical use, contributes to deforestation, wastes vast quantities of water, and increases air pollution through curing processes.
Ironically, while some farmers find tobacco financially attractive in the short term, the long-term environmental degradation renders their land less productive for food crops, thereby threatening national food security. In a country already vulnerable to climate change and population pressures, this is a dangerous trade-off.
To its credit, the Government of Bangladesh has made legal efforts to curtail tobacco use. The Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) Act was first passed in 2005, revised in 2013, and reinforced with new regulations in 2015. It prohibits smoking in public places and vehicles, bans tobacco advertising and sponsorship, and mandates graphic health warnings on packaging.
However, these measures are poorly enforced. Monitoring is irregular, implementation inconsistent, and violations often go unpunished. Tobacco companies exploit legal loopholes and enforcement gaps to maintain their influence. For instance, flavored and electronic nicotine products are growing in popularity among youth, operating in legal gray areas where clear regulations are lacking.
Tobacco is a known cause of multiple fatal diseases: lung cancer, heart disease, strokes, bronchitis, asthma, high blood pressure, and various respiratory ailments. It also leads to cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, stomach, and liver. Chemicals such as nicotine, tar, and carbon monoxide damage cellular structures and blood vessels, reducing life expectancy and quality of life.
The harm begins even before birth. Pregnant women who smoke or are exposed to secondhand smoke are more likely to give birth to underweight or stillborn babies. Their children face higher risks of birth defects and developmental issues. Children raised in smoking households frequently develop asthma and other respiratory illnesses, and are more likely to become smokers themselves later in life. This is a vicious cycle of health deterioration across generations.
Tobacco control is not a task for health ministries alone; it requires a whole-of-society approach. Families must model healthy behaviors, schools should integrate anti-tobacco education into curricula, and teachers must educate students about the real dangers of smoking. Tobacco use should be explained from a religious perspective to convey its sinful consequences and harmful effects within religious establishments.
Awareness campaigns across schools, colleges, and universities can equip youth with the knowledge to resist peer pressure and corporate manipulation. Media, both traditional and digital, must expose deceptive industry tactics and support evidence-based reporting on tobacco harms.
Local government bodies such as city corporations, municipalities, and union councils can play a proactive role. Licensing conditions for retail shops can include bans on selling tobacco products. Mobile courts should enforce prohibitions against selling cigarettes to minors, particularly those in school uniforms.
Economically, tax reform is imperative. To reduce affordability, experts recommend increasing the price of low-tier cigarettes by at least 33% and raising the supplementary duty from 60% to 67%. Though this might temporarily reduce sales, it would decrease consumption, boost state revenue, and lower long-term healthcare costs.
A smoke-free society is not only a health objective but a moral obligation. Tobacco is robbing children of their futures, polluting the environment, and crippling the economy. The time has come to declare tobacco not just a public health threat, but a national emergency.
What is needed now is not just legislation, but political courage. Political parties must include a tobacco-free vision in their manifestos and commit to implementing it when in power. Government agencies must enforce existing laws with zero tolerance. And above all, civil society must unite behind a shared goal: to protect the next generation from an entirely preventable epidemic.
The path to a tobacco-free Bangladesh demands five pillars: strong political commitment, robust law enforcement, public awareness, economic reform, and a vibrant grassroots movement. The message should be unequivocal: We choose health over addiction, clarity over corruption, and life over slow death. Let us act decisively. Let us build, together, a tobacco-free Bangladesh.
M A Hossain, political and defense analyst based in Bangladesh. He can be reached at: writetomahossain@gmail.com
This article published at :
1. New Age, BD : 31 May, 25
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