Anti-tobacco groups demand sales ban on tobacco products during COVID-19 pandemic

Anti-tobacco organisations have called upon the government to ban marketing and sale of tobacco products during COVID-19 pandemic.

News Deskbdnews24.com
Published : 7 May 2020, 04:25 PM
Updated : 7 May 2020, 04:25 PM

The organisations in a media statement said: “Considering the severe detrimental effects of tobacco and its active role in deteriorating coronavirus crisis, hundred (100) eminent citizens of the country have raised demands for a temporary ban on the marketing and sale of all tobacco products during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic to protect public health.”

They referred to findings of the World Health Organization or WHO, which stated, “The use of tobacco increases the risk of coronavirus infection (due to frequent hand-mouth contacts) and also the risk of serious illness due to lung disease or reduced lung capacity.”

The organisations enlarged on their points in a letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday (May 7), mentioning that “tobacco products also weaken the immune system of the body, making it extremely vulnerable to coronavirus infection".

“A number of countries including India, South Africa and Botswana have already taken this WHO warning very seriously and imposed temporary ban on the sale of all tobacco products.”

Putting under the spotlight Bangladesh’s capacity to treat COVID-19 patients in terms of logistics and the rising number of cases of infection, the statement added, “… if the marketing and sale of tobacco products is allowed to continue during this pandemic, it would create an additional pressure on the healthcare system, eventually intensifying the crisis.”

Additionally, it referred to the dangers of ‘secondhand smoke’ which endangers 41 million who are affected passively through the smoking of 37.8 million adults, and urged the government to temporary ban on the sale of all cigarettes, bidis, jarda, gul and other tobacco products.

Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad, Convener of National Anti-Tobacco Platform, National Professor Abdul Malik, Founder and President of the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh were among the signatories in the release.

The anti-tobacco organisations behind the move, included Bangladesh Cancer Society, BCCP, ACD, YPSA, Aid Foundation, Bangladesh Anti-Tobacco Alliance, BNTTP, BITA, Grambangla Unnayan Committee, NATAB, Prattashya, TCRC, National Heart Foundation, Dhaka Ahsania Mission, UFAT, TABINAJ, Voice, WBB Trust, Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA) and PROGGA.