Experts have recently reiterated their call for the government to introduce stronger tobacco rules in the country as they underscored the importance of lung health.
On the occasion of World Lung Day 2025, pulmonologists, oncologists, public health experts, journalists, and other experts joined together to discuss how to better protect people against lung diseases.
Mortality rate in Bangladesh due to tobacco use
According to experts, tobacco use and secondhand smoke are the leading contributors to lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, tuberculosis, and asthma.
The 2017 Global Adult Tobacco Survey revealed that 35.3% of adults (15 years and older) – around 37.8 million people – use tobacco.
Additionally, approximately 8.1 million people are exposed to secondhand smoke at workplaces, with at least 25 million encountering it on public transport.
Tobacco-related illnesses cause around 161,000 deaths annually in the country.
Furthermore, lung and heart diseases account for 40% of deaths from non-communicable diseases.
Tobacco hinders achieving SDGs in Bangladesh
With the high mortality rate due to tobacco use, Bangladesh faces a major hindrance to achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs), particularly SDG Target 3.4, which aims to reduce premature deaths from non-communicable diseases by one-third.
Experts warn that tobacco consumption could obstruct progress on various SDGs, including those related to health, poverty alleviation, food safety, education, gender equality, and environmental sustainability.
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What do experts suggest?
At the meeting, experts stressed the urgent need for a strong tobacco control law free from industry influence, along with strict enforcement measures.
They also urged the government to fast-track the amendment of the Smoking and Tobacco Product (Control) (Amendment) Act, 2013.
In 2021, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare amended the Smoking and Tobacco Product (Control) (Amendment) Act, 2013.
The amendments
The draft bill on the amendments to the Smoking and Tobacco Product (Control) (Amendment) Act, 2013, earned the support of anti-tobacco groups.
This aligns more closely with the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
Key amendments to the draft bill include the expansion of smoke-free areas, which seeks to eliminate the provision for “designated smoking areas” in public places.
The bill also wants to ban e-cigarettes, eliminate tobacco advertising and promotion, prohibit single-stick cigarette sales, increase graphic health warnings, and raise penalties for violations.
According to experts, controlling tobacco use among people is key to reducing deaths due to lung diseases.
Prof. Dr. Golam Mohiuddin Faruque, president of the Bangladesh Cancer Society, highlighted the urgent need for policymakers to prioritize the tobacco control law amendment.
“The casualty rate and medical expenses for all types of cancers, including lung cancer, are very high. Policymakers must prioritize the amendment of tobacco control law.”
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