Public Health on Top

The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) has been spreading misleading information in the media to derail the ongoing amendment of the tobacco control law. Very recently, the organization has conducted a planned campaign at several national dailies urging the country's policymakers to adopt pro-vape policies as a supposed way of tobacco harm reduction. In addition, CAPHRA has been trying to instigate controversy surrounding the international non-government organizations that have been working for years to improve the public health of Bangladesh. It should be noted that CAPHRA has been active in the promotion of e-cigarettes and vaping products for a considerable period of time, and its Executive Coordinator has been found attending programs with tobacco company representatives.

Moreover, several multinational tobacco company officials have been interviewed by various media outlets, where they attempted to mislead policymakers by demanding that tobacco companies be involved in the amendment process as stakeholders. However, according to FCTC Article 5.3, any sort of involvement of the tobacco industry or its affiliates in the formulation of tobacco control related laws, rules or policies, i.e., providing proposals, opinions or even participating in the process is completely unacceptable.

With a view to safeguarding public health, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare took the initiative to amend the Smoking and Tobacco Products (Control) (Amendment) Act, 2013 in 2021. Following the formulation of the draft amendment proposal, subsequent release of the draft on website, gathering opinions from stakeholders, holding inter-ministerial meeting, on 7 November 2024, the draft was placed before the Advisory Council for approval. Later, through a notification published on 9 December 2024, a high-powered Advisory Committee was formed to further revise the draft.

Each of the proposals included in the draft amendment is time-fitting and equally important in safeguarding public health. Notably, tobacco use claims at least 442 lives each day in Bangladesh and leads to hundreds of thousands of disabilities. The longer it takes for the government to adopt and implement the draft amendment, the higher the death toll from tobacco-related diseases will rise. We hope the government will not allow itself to get derailed by disinformation campaign by tobacco companies and finalize the draft at the earliest.