Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said that smoking and tobacco addiction are deadly. Smoking is also a gateway to drug use. Parents and educational institutions should be aware of their responsibility to ensure the protection of children and adolescents from the harmful effects of tobacco and drugs.

He said, “If all educational institutions of the country are made completely tobacco-free, the future generation will stay away from tobacco addiction. Various countries around the world have achieved significant success by following this strategy of tobacco control.

He said these things in a message given on Thursday (May 30) on the occasion of ‘World No Tobacco Day 2024’ tomorrow, May 31.

The Prime Minister said, “I am happy to know that ‘World No Tobacco Day-2024’ is being observed in Bangladesh like other countries of the world. I think this year’s theme of the day, ‘Resist tobacco company interference, ensure children’s safety’, is very timely.”

He said, according to the World Health Organization, tobacco smoke contains 7,000 chemicals, of which 250 are highly harmful and responsible for causing cancer in various parts of the body. Nicotine in tobacco is highly addictive. Half of the people addicted to tobacco and smoking die from cancer, heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma and a rare disease of arteriovenous inflammation (Berger’s disease). According to the Lancet, a world-renowned health journal, about 8.7 million people die annually in the world due to tobacco, of which more than 1.3 million people are non-smokers, that is, victims of second-hand smoke. More than 1 lakh 61 thousand people die in Bangladesh due to tobacco related diseases.

Sheikh Hasina said that the World Health Organization has formulated the ‘Framework Convention on Tobacco Control’ (FCTC) with the aim of reducing the use of tobacco. Bangladesh is the first country to sign this multilateral agreement. In light of the FCTC, the government passed amendments to the ‘Smoking and Use of Tobacco Products (Control) Act’ in 2013. The United Nations has formulated the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including the effective implementation of the FCTC and the control of non-communicable diseases, considering tobacco as a threat to development. To achieve the SDGs, our government has included tobacco control in the 8th Five Year Plan. After all, at the South Asian Speakers Summit in 2016, we announced to make Bangladesh tobacco-free by 2040. Awami League government is working tirelessly to implement that goal.

He said that according to the World Health Organization data of 2022, one whole tree is cut for every 300 cigarettes. An average of 200,000 hectares of forest resources are destroyed every year in the world for growing tobacco and processing tobacco leaves. Pesticides used in tobacco cultivation and harmful chemicals from tobacco are polluting the soil and surrounding water bodies. As a result, soil, air and water dependent biodiversity is being damaged and poses a major threat to agricultural systems and food security.

On the other hand, air pollution due to tobacco processing, cigarette and bidi smoke is increasing alarmingly, causing serious health risks. In addition, agricultural land is shrinking significantly due to increased urbanization, industrialization and settlement as a result of population growth and climate change, especially water scarcity, is hampering the food production process.

The prime minister said the Russia-Ukraine war has caused a huge increase in the prices of fuel oil, fertilizers and pesticides and the possibility of a global food crisis. In this situation, the cultivation of multi-dimensionally harmful crops like tobacco should be reduced and food production should be increased by bringing the fallow land under cultivation.

He said, “I hope that the public, including children and teenagers, will be more aware of the harmful effects of tobacco.” And this awareness will protect children and teenagers from the temptation of tobacco companies. Through increasing public awareness and the practical role of stakeholders, we will be able to build a tobacco-free Bangladesh by 2040, Insha’Allah.

The Prime Minister wished the overall success of all the programs undertaken on the occasion of ‘World No Tobacco Day-2024’.