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
September 20, 2021 by tbsnews.net
‘Necessary steps will be taken to ban e-cigarettes’
The Health ministry will take into account the recommendations in implementing laws to ban e-cigarettes in order to build a tobacco-free country, said Lokman Hossain Mia, senior secretary of the health services department, during a meeting on Sunday. Lokman Hossain Mia said, "The health ministry has already taken some steps, such as a draft roadmap to build a tobacco-free Bangladesh. Hopefully, further initiatives will be taken to finalise it soon."
"The use of an emerging tobacco product called e-cigarette is increasing day by day which is alarming. E-cigarettes are just as harmful to health as conventional cigarettes. [...]
June 16, 2021 by thefinancialexpress.com.bd
Speakers recommend amendment to law for tobacco-free Bangladesh
Although the number of smokers has decreased in Bangladesh over the years, it is not adequate to make the country tobacco-free by 2040, Information Minister Hasan Mahmud has said at a workshop organised by VOICE with the members of Law Reporter’s Forum.
The workshop titled “The Necessity of Law Amendment” was held at Nasrul Hamid auditorium of Dhaka Reporter’s Unity on Wednesday.
Speaking as the chief guest, the minister said an impetuous anti-tobacco campaign is necessary to make the country tobacco-free.
May 31, 2021 by dhakatribune.com
'Putting taxes on tobacco, e-cigarettes remain top priority'
Prof Habibe Millat, of Sirajganj constituency, said that tobacco harms all the organs from head to toe. Therefore, it is necessary to reform the existing law and strengthen enforcement.
Four members of the parliament (MPs) recently stressed at a webinar that imposing higher and specific taxes on tobacco products, enlarging the pictorial health warnings to 90% and amending existing laws, including banning e-cigarettes, are now top priorities. Barrister Shamim Haider Patwari, of Gaibandha 1 constituency, said that neighboring countries have pictorial health warnings on tobacco product packets from 80% to 90%, but in Bangladesh it is only 50%.
May 04, 2021 by dhakatribune.com
Speakers: Impose specific tax on tobacco products
The current tobacco tax structure is extremely complex and a major obstacle for discouraging tobacco usage, and this needs to be simplified, said experts at a virtual meeting on Monday.
The meeting was titled " Way Forward to Tobacco free Bangladesh by 2040: Tobacco Tax", organized by Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM) and the Economic Reporters Forum (ERF.)
Speakers also said that in Bangladesh, the price of cigarettes is very low, while bidi is even cheaper.
January 25, 2021 by dhakatribune.com
Call for amending tobacco control law to ensure public health safety
Strong measures need to be taken for reducing tobacco use and turning Bangladesh into a tobacco-free country by 2040, say anti-tobacco campaigners
The existing tobacco control law of the country is not adequate and it should be amended in order to save the public from the harmful effects of tobacco products, according to experts. Anti-tobacco campaigners were speaking on the issue at a discussion with media persons on the theme, “The Role of Media in Protecting Public Health: Tobacco Control Perspectives”, in the capital on Thursday.
November 11, 2020 by youtube.com
The Union Director Dr. Gan Quan's Speech to Ban E-Cigarette in Bangladesh at TCRC Seminar
Mr. Gan Quan, Director of The Union spoke on Ban E-Cigarette in Banglades at the program.
October 14, 2020 by medicalxpress.com
Research pinpoints major drivers of tobacco epidemic among teens in South Asia
Advertising on TV and online, being offered free tobacco products and exposure to smoking in public places are the biggest drivers of tobacco use among teens in South Asia, a new study suggests. The research, led by the University of York, looked at data from Global Youth Tobacco survey on the tobacco use of just under 24,000 adolescents in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri-Lanka. "The study provides a vital message for policy makers that the current form of anti-tobacco media campaigns are unlikely to work on young people in South Asia [...]
August 16, 2018 by abc.net.au
Chart Of The Day: In These Cities, Breathing Air Is Like Smoking Cigarettes
Illustration of a bar chart made from cigarettes of varying length The World Health Organisation keeps a close eye on air quality data, providing a global insight into just what we are all breathing every day. The relevant indicator the WHO measures is PM2.5, the "concentration of particulate matter of less than 2.5 micrometres of diameter" — that's about 3 per cent of the width of a human hair. These particles are similar to the 'tar' that smokers voluntarily inhale through cigarette filters.
January 24, 2018 by independent.co.uk
NINE OUT OF TEN CHILDREN IN BANGLADESH EXPOSED TO SECONDHAND SMOKE
Bangladesh outlawed smoking in public places in 2013. However, our survey of primary school children in the capital, Dhaka, found that 95 per cent had recently been exposed to secondhand smoke.
Secondhand tobacco smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals, 70 of which can cause cancer. Children are particularly vulnerable to the harms caused by this smoke, as their lungs are still developing and they breathe at a faster rate than adults.
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