Draft law proposes pictorial warning on products, more tax and increased fine for smoking in public
The government is moving to amend the tobacco control act and introduce powerful pictorial warnings on cigarette packets and other tobacco items in a bid to reduce tobacco consumption drastically.
The Ministry of Health is drafting the amendment to Tobacco Control Act 2005 and considering increasing the fine for smoking in public to Tk 300 from Tk 50.
The amendment is being brought as the existing act failed to reduce or discourage tobacco consumption due to poor implementation of the law and its loopholes.
The draft amendment highlights introduction of pictorial cautionary message on no less than 50 percent of the major display on cigarette packets and other tobacco items. This would replace the existing warning in writing that failed to make any impact.
All the packets and cartons of tobacco items must bear a message “Approved to sell only in Bangladesh” written in Bangla, says the draft, adding that sale, supply, transport and consumption of tobacco items without the message would be punishable by simple imprisonment or Tk 1 lakh as fine or both. The penalty will double or increase if someone repeats violating the law.
“A large number of people of the country are illiterate and hence unable to understand the written message on packets of cigarettes. The pictorial warning will make them realise the hazards of smoking and tobacco use,” said Iqbal Masud, member of the health ministry drafting committee.
Experts say that the countries where pictorial warnings have been introduced witnessed a visible decline in tobacco consumption.
The draft amendment also recommends that the government increase tax on tobacco items and offer easy loans to farmers for growing other crops but tobacco.
However, the provision of keeping smoking zones in public places has not been kept in the draft amendment.
Iqbal Masud said, “In most cases, people do not smoke in designated smoking areas. That is why, there will be no smoking zones in airports or other public places as per the draft.”
He said the drafting committee is yet to finalise the definition of the personnel to be authorised for the enforcement of the proposed law. The committee thinks police and union parishad chairmen or members could be given the authority.
The draft amendment also says that the owner, caretaker or manager of a public place must put up a “No Smoking; Tk 300 fine for violating the law” warning sign in their establishments. If an owner, caretaker or manager does not put up the sign s/he will be fined Tk 5,000.
Taifur Rahman, advocacy and media coordinator of Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, Bangladesh, said the existing law has loopholes for which tobacco control could not be ensured to a significant level.
He said the existing law defines only cigarettes as tobacco items whereas the draft law includes chewing and other forms of tobacco under its concern.
Besides, the law of 2005 bans promotion of tobacco items (cigarettes), which has been enforced in the media. However, indirect advertisement still prevails at shops and markets in the name of carrying out corporate social responsibilities, said Iqbal Masud.
According to Global Adult Tobacco Survey Bangladesh Report 2009, use of tobacco among adults have shot up to 43.3 percent last year which was 37 percent in 2004. It means, around 4.13 crore people are smoking or chewing tobacco. The report also said that an alarming 45 percent of adults are exposed to passive smoking.
