Smoking in Bangladesh
In Bangladesh, smoking is allowed, but tobacco products including cigarettes are subject to specific legal control measures. Based on these regulations, a comprehensive ban on all tobacco advertising, including cigarettes, is strictly enforced. Health warnings on their packaging are required, and smoking is restricted in public places. There is also a minimum age restriction on sales of 18 years. While no excise tax is applied on cigarettes, the total taxation rate is 58.40%. However, retail sale is allowed, and products can legally be purchased online. Notably, the sale of cigarettes through vending machines is prohibited. The current prevalence of tobacco smoking among adults aged 15 years and older was estimated to be 15.9% in Bangladesh as of 2024. This marks a decline from previous years; in 2020, the adult current prevalence of smoking was reported to be 18.6%, and in 2019, it was 20.9%. The absolute number of current tobacco smokers in 2024 was approximately 19.7 million. This shows a decrease from 21,9 million in 2020 and 24 million in 2019. In terms of gender-specific data, the current prevalence of tobacco smoking among males in 2024 was significantly higher with 32.5% compared to 0.3% among females. This represents a slight decrease for males from 36.4% in 2020 and 40.8% in 2019. For females, it also declined from 0.5% in 2020 and 1% in 2019. The adult daily tobacco smoking prevalence in 2018 was 22.3%, with a prevalence of 44.4% among males and 0.9% among females. In 2021, tobacco smoking caused 130,135 deaths in Bangladesh, representing 11.87% of all deaths in the country that year. The data show that smoking-related mortality accounted for 16.83% of all deaths among males and 4.98% among females. These figures underscore the public health challenges posed by tobacco smoking in Bangladesh and emphasize the need for continued public health measures and policies to reduce its impacts.
Read articles from Bangladesh
March 02, 2023 by tbsnews.net
Govt urged to amend tobacco control law, ban e-cigarettes
Local non-governmental organisation the Development Organisation of the Rural Poor on Wednesday urged the government to pass the draft amendment of tobacco control act and ban all types of electronic cigarettes at the earliest to make the country tobacco-free by 2040.
"Tobacco companies are spreading rumours against the amendment of tobacco control act. We request the government to revise the act without any delay," Deputy Executive Director of the organisation Mohammad Zobayer Hasan said at a press conference at the National Press Club in the capital.
January 05, 2023 by thefinancialexpress.com.bd
Tobacco-related aggression kills 0.16 million people each year in Bangladesh
More than 161,000 people in the country die every year due to tobacco use or smoking, increasing the risk of lung cancer by 20 to 30 per cent.
Second-hand smoking increases the risk of heart disease in non-smokers by 25-30 per cent. [...] The minister said that the government is working to build a 'tobacco-free Bangladesh' by 2040.
"Therefore, public places and transport should be made 100 per cent smoke free. Educational institutions should ensure that students do not smoke. Tobacco should be socially boycotted as it is poison," he added.
November 30, 2022 by tbsnews.net
'Citizens, policymakers should work together to strengthen tobacco law'
To make tobacco-free Bangladesh as per the commitment of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the law structure needs to be strengthened, and the factors that are encouraging public need to be prohibited, said speakers at a discussion Wednesday.
They also noted that Designated Smoking Areas (DSA), displaying smoking scenes in movies on condition, and CSR by tobacco companies must be outlawed. [...] Dr Atiur Rahman highlighted that policymakers have not only played a notable role in reducing tobacco consumption in Bangladesh and the citizens but also provided significant support to anti-tobacco movements.
September 08, 2022 by tobaccoreporter.com
Bangladesh Urged to Keep Vapes Legal
Bangladesh must keep e-cigarettes legal if it wants to achieve its goal of becoming a tobacco-free country by 2040, according to tobacco harm reduction activists.
Speaking during a webinar organized by the Bangladesh-based Voices of Vapers and reported by The Daily Star, several experts addressed the government’s recent proposal to ban vapor products, heat-not-burn devices and other cigarette alternatives in a new amendment to the country’s tobacco control legislation.
Delon Human, president of Health Diplomats, said there is no evidence for the National Tobacco Control Cell’s statement that nicotine in vapes is more harmful than cigarettes.
September 05, 2022 by youtube.com
Save Vaping, Save Bangladesh
Webinar by Voice of Vapers Bangladesh
August 22, 2022 by tbsnews.net
International harm reduction experts urge government to rethink proposed vape ban
A group of international tobacco harm reduction advocates has asked Bangladesh authorities to reconsider its proposed prohibition of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) and other smokefree nicotine alternatives in a letter addressed to the Ministry of Health.
The letter states that smoke-free nicotine products have the potential to drive out smoking, and urges the Bangladesh government to prohibit less harmful alternatives to cigarettes. reads a press release.
July 26, 2022 by asianews.network
Is it possible to reduce tobacco use in Bangladesh?
Reducing tobacco use is highly challenging in a country like Bangladesh, where there is widespread use of different forms of tobacco among men, women and even children, and where devious interference by tobacco industries into government systems and policy measures has gone largely unchecked. Every year, about 161,200 people are killed by tobacco-induced diseases. Over 172,000 children (10 to 14 years) and about 25 million youths and adults (15 years and above) use tobacco every day. Non-communicable diseases account for 67 percent of all deaths, and tobacco causes about one in every five deaths in the country.
June 27, 2022 by tbsnews.net
Health ministry proposes to ban e-cigarettes
The health ministry has proposed a fine of Tk5,000 for using e-cigarettes.
The ministry drafted amendments to the Smoking and Using of Tobacco Products (Control) Act 2005 banning e-cigarettes, vape, or nicotine pouches.
There is a provision of a maximum fine of Tk5,000 for using e-cigarettes.
In addition, the draft amendment proposes to prohibit the special production, import, export, storage, sale and transportation of e-cigarettes or their parts.
Violation of this provision is punishable by imprisonment for a maximum of six months or a fine not exceeding Tk2 lakh or both for the first time.
April 06, 2022 by tbsnews.net
How should the government respond to the illegal cigarette trade?
In Bangladesh, the tobacco industry is the largest source of internal revenue for the government, constituting approximately 11% of the government's earnings. In 2021 alone, the government made BDT 28,000 crore in cigarette revenue. However, this revenue could be much higher.
Every year, the Bangladesh government is defrauded of crores of taka by the illegal cigarette trade, and this is an issue that only seems to be expanding with each passing year. However, this is not the only issue–when cigarette prices and taxes are increased, law-abiding, tax-paying cigarette traders also suffer due to lower sales, [...]
October 22, 2021 by tbsnews.net
Evidence on effectiveness of e-cigarettes is incontrovertible: Speakers
Evidence on the efficacy of harm reduction products like e-cigarette is incontrovertible, said speakers at a webinar on Thursday. [...] Michael Landl said that "Progressive countries are implementing vaping regulations. If Bangladesh implements the regulation for vaping, it could be 6 million people who could switch to vaping than smoking cigarettes as per our calculation."
"Vapes are at least 95% safer than the traditional combustible tobacco, according to the Public Health England. It's not the nicotine that kills people, but it's the tar from smoking, the speakers said while replying questions.", he said.