As the world prepares to observe World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) on 31 May 2024, the theme for this year is “Protecting Children from Tobacco Industry Interference.”
In Bangladesh, the event will focus on "Tamak Companir Hastokkhep Pratihato Kari, Shishuder Surokkha Nishchit Kori" (Preventing Tobacco Company Interference, Ensuring Children's Protection), reads a press release.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at least 37 million young people aged 13-15 globally use tobacco regularly.
The tobacco industry employs various tactics to attract children and adolescents, including marketing flavoured products, placing tobacco products near schools, using social media influencers, sponsoring events, and resisting strong tobacco control laws and taxes.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US reports that individuals who start using tobacco before age 21 are likely to become lifelong users.
In Bangladesh, the Global School-based Health Survey 2014 (GSHS) found that 9.2 percent of students aged 13-15 use tobacco.
Tobacco-related diseases cause 161,000 deaths annually in Bangladesh. Tobacco companies continue to target children and adolescents to replace those who die or quit due to tobacco-related illnesses.
ABM Zubair, Executive Director of PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress), emphasized, “The youth comprise 48 percent of Bangladesh's total population. They are the main target of tobacco companies. We must safeguard this generation by strengthening tobacco control laws.”
