Ensure enactment of tobacco control law

The unceasing prevalence of tobacco-related cancer in the country should be of deep concern to us all. Reportedly, 46 percent of the cancer patients in Hossainpur upazila of Kishoreganj suffer from tobacco-related cancers. This number emerges from a study conducted by Bangladesh Medical University (BMU) on 245 cancer patients in Hossainpur, which has found that around 73 percent of male cancer patients there have a history of smoking, while about 60 percent of female patients have a history of using smokeless tobacco. To add to this, tobacco consumption prevalence among people aged 15 and above in Bangladesh stood at 31.4 percent last year, according to the WHO. This is higher than both the global and Southeast Asian averages. 

Beyond these numbers, what is most troubling is the insidious stronghold of tobacco companies in our surroundings and even within the government. According to a study by the Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC), an average of 5.5 tobacco points-of-sale (POS) were found within 100 metres of 121 schools, with nearly 70 percent advertising tobacco products. Meanwhile, the government remains actively and passively responsible for the dismal regulation of tobacco companies. This is evident in the government’s holding shares in tobacco companies and in Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority giving approval to Philip Morris Bangladesh for setting up a factory in Narayanganj to produce nicotine pouches last year.

The recently approved Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025 provides hope to anti-tobacco advocates. Among other commendable provisions, the new law bans the production, import, sale and use of electronic nicotine delivery systems like e‑cigarettes and vapes, as well as banning the sale of tobacco products within a 100‑metre radius of educational institutions, hospitals, playgrounds, and children’s parks. But the success of this ordinance will depend on the next government enacting it into a law and implementing it rigorously. 

WHO cites tobacco use as the single most preventable cause of death globally. Yet, at least 1.6 lakh people die in Bangladesh each year due to tobacco use. The newest ordinance can be crucial for controlling tobacco use across the country. Most importantly, it is up to the government officials to address the severe threat that tobacco use poses to public health by employing the relevant legal and policy measures.