Tobacco.org

• Tobacco cultivation poses threat to environment in CHT 

Tobacco cultivation is posing a threat to the public health and the environment in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT).

Although tobacco cultivation is strictly prohibited, the tobacco companies are doing brisk business, violating the rules. Besides, they motivate the farmers openly by offering incentives in cash and kind to cultivate tobacco.

At least 60 to 70 thousand metric tones of firewood are being burnt in 2,000 tobacco processing kilns every year, causing depletion of reserve and natural forests, threatening environment and ecology in the hills, environmentalists said.

They said tobacco cultivation leaves bad impact on the soil fertility and once tobacco is cultivated its difficult to grow other crops on the same land.

Some 7000 farmers are involved with the tobacco farming in the CHT

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• Impose tax on tobacco to ward off smokers  

It is essential to control smoking and tobacco-made products by increasing prices of tobacco- made products and imposing taxes. If the prices of these goods are very high, the rate of smokers decrease and cost for maintaining public health and control over tobacco-borne diseases may become easier'.

Saifuddin Ahmed, Moderator of Bangladesh Anti-Tobacco Alliance made the above remarks on Saturday while addressing the inauguration programme titled 'Tobacco and Taxation in Bangladesh' organised by 'Work for a Better Bangladesh, Trust' (WBBT). The Development Researcher, Taifur Rahman addressed the meeting as keynote speaker and the Senior Project Officer of WBB Trust, Aminul Islam moderated the function.

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• Tobacco claims 5.4m a year worldwide: WHO report  

About 5.4 million people die every year across the globe due to tobacco consumption and the number will go over 8 million by 2030 if immediate steps are not taken, the World Health Organisation (WHO) report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic 2008 said yesterday.

At the launching ceremony of the report at a city hotel, it was also revealed that more than 80 percent of the tobacco victims would die in the developing countries alone by 2030 if tobacco control programme is not augmented by this time. . . .

The report outlined the MPOWER package, a set of six key tobacco control measures . . .

This year National Tobacco Control Cell (NTCC) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has won the Global Award on the World No Tobacco Day.

WHO representative to Bangladesh Dr Duangvadee Sungkhobol handed over the crest to Uzzal Bikash Dutt, joint secretary of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, on the occasion.

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• Tobacco curbs hit Bidi exports  

The bidi export market is seeing a downward trend and confusion prevails among bidi exporters about the actual figures. But exporters present a unanimous front on the reasons for the fall. The restrictions on tobacco the world over are seen as the chief reason for the exporters' woes.

Low-cost cigarettes seem to be the other villains. Bidi exporters are slowly losing hold over the Middle East, which has been the mainstay for many companies, like Nimex Trading Corporation. “The Middle East accounts for about 90% of our exports,” says Nimex proprietor Parvez A Khatri. The Asian population in these countries constitutes the major clientele for bidis. However, cigarette manufacturers in Bangladesh who are supplying their wares at cheap rates, are beginning to eat into their markets.

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• Awareness, protests cut tobacco cultivation in southwestern districts 

Tobacco cultivation in seven southwestern districts which got a big boost several years ago is declining due to awareness about its harmful effect on soil and health following protests and campaign and also because of farmers' need to grow more food.

Farmers now say its cultivation decreases fertility and deposits harmful ingredients in soil.

According to sources in the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) and officials of now defunct Tobacco Development Board (TDB), tobacco cultivation declined to 14000 hectares in the areas in the current season from last year's 17000 hectares. .. .

The seven districts known for tobacco cultivation are Kushtia, Meherpur, Jhenidah, Chuadanga, Magura, Jessore and Rajbari.

Tobacco cultivation increased in the country mainly at the behwest of cigarette and Bidi companies. Its main buyers were 17 companies including multinational British American Tobacco (BAT. . . .

According to sources, Bidi and cigarette companies have been using various 'unhealthy' techniques to lure farmers into tobacco farming for long. They provide interest-free loans, seeds, fertilisers, technical support and buy back facilities to farmers.

These companies have a large number of field workers to do the job. They lure farmers into tobacco cultivation, and get 'tips' from companies for 'good performance'.

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• Bangladesh braces for tobacco war as Akij starts selling Marlboro by April 

Bangladesh braces for the fiercest tobacco war in less than two months' time when volume leader Akij will launch Marlboro in the country, hoping to end the decades-long dominance by British American Tobacco.

Akij's young managing director Sheikh Bashiruddin would not say when exactly the world's biggest tobacco brand will be launched, but add success of Marlboro would be vital for making the sprawling Group a billion dollar company by 2012.

"Marlboro is a premium tobacco brand leader across the globe. I don't see why it would not grab the leadership in Bangladesh," the 37-year chief said. . . .

Akij is launching the global tobacco leader Philip Morris's brand as a franchisee. The US-based world's largest tobacco company has audited and validated the factory where the premium brand would be produced using imported roasted tobacco.

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• Anti-smoking law still in name only 

Having to put up with Dhaka's chaotic and terrible bus services is one thing, but breathing in fumes in an enclosed place is quite another. It gets only worse for the people like Mizanur Rahman who are allergic to cigarette smoke or suffering from asthma.

After years of suffering this aerial assault, Mizan, a Mohammadpur resident, finally decided to put pen to paper and make his point about the nuisance of smoking in public places. He decided to send his complaint to some of the daily newspapers, saying that smoking in public transportations reflects the carelessness and absence of civic sense of the citizens.

"A number of arrogant and senseless people including bus drivers, their helpers and even 'educated' passengers tend to smoke away to glory with little concern for the people around them," wrote Mizanur Rahman. . . .

In 2005, with an aim to discourage smoking, the ban of smoking in public and advertisement of tobacco products stirred a surge of awareness amongst the majority of the smoking population. However, as the ban was not widely publicises it was rather short-lived -- thanks to the poor show by authorities concerned.

Majority of the city dwellers still seem to be confused about the law as it failed to clearly define the places off-limits to smoking and advertisement of tobacco products. Hoardings by cigarette companies still deck the roofs of shops throughout the city

"I know that smoking in public and vehicles is prohibited. But I'm not sure about the places falling under the prohibition," said Sharif Mahmud, a student of Dhaka University.

The law prohibits smoking at academic institutions, government, semi-government and autonomous offices, libraries, lifts, hospitals, clinics, court buildings, airports, sea and river port buildings, railway stations, bus terminals, buses, ferries, cinema halls, indoor exhibition centres, theatres and children's parks.

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• Marlboros to make Bangladesh debut  

The world's leading tobacco manufacturer Philip Morris has tied up with a Bangladeshi firm to sell Marlboro cigarettes in the local market, company officials said Sunday.

The Marlboros will be manufactured and distributed by the Dhaka Tobacco Company, the company's chief executive officer Sheikh Bashir Uddin told reporters.

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• Punishment to advertisers of cigarettes urged 

Environmentalists yesterday demanded punishment to the advertisers of cigarette companies, which were violating the Smoking and Tobacco Control Act 2005.

They said, though government banned any kind of advertisement of tobacco, the cigarette companies continued to woo consumers in various forms.

Paribesh Bachao Andolon, a citizen's movement for saving the environment, yesterday organised a sit-in programme in front of the Institute of Fine Arts of Dhaka University.

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• Anti-tobacco law remains largely ineffective 

The anti-tobacco law that was introduced in March this year has been rendered ineffective due to flouting of the law and people's ignorance about the legal provisions.

The law has failed to stop smoking in public places and it has hardly any effect on the sale of cigarettes and tobacco products.

Aimed at discouraging smoking and sale of tobacco products, the law prohibits smoking at educational institutions, government, semi-government and autonomous offices, libraries, lifts, hospitals, clinics, court buildings, airports, sea and river port buildings, railway stations, bus terminal buildings, ferries, cinemas, theatres and children's parks.

It also banned advertisement of cigarettes and tobacco products in the cinemas, government or private TV channels and publication of such ads in books, magazines, leaflets, handbills, billboards and newspapers. . . .

When contacted, Shahadat Ali, divisional commercial officer of Bangladesh Railway, said the shops and vendors at the station were given permission a few years before the introduction of the anti-tobacco law.

However, the railway administration is going to impose new terms and conditions on hawkers, prohibiting sale of cigarettes at the station, he said.

Another railway official said even newspaper hawkers sell cigarettes hiding them under bundles of newspapers.

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• Govt plans to ban smoking on screen 

The government plans a ban on scenes that involve smoking by the characters, on-screen or on-stage, on the audiovisual media, according to officials of the information ministry.

The ban will encompass cinema, television, and theatrical performances.

'We will send letters requesting filmmakers, producers, and the authorities concerned not to allow scenes of smoking in films and stage shows,' said a high ministry official.

Hundreds of people are getting sick and many of them die of smoking related diseases, he said.

'Many non-smokers become smokers to emulate the heroes or actors. We want to stop this,' said the official, also a member of the Bangladesh Film Censor Board.

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• To smoke or not to smoke... 

Although no course of action has been yet implemented under 'The Smoking and Tobacco Control Act- 2005' since the law came into effect on March 26, it is alleged that a few police officers harass smokers citing the law.

As three young boys, puffing cigarettes, were taking a rickshaw ride along Elephant Road last week, a patrol police officer stopped them and demanded Tk. 50 each as fine for violating the law although smoking in non-motorised vehicles is no violation.

The boys, however, managed to get out of the situation by paying Tk.100 in total but the officer did not give them any acknowledgement. . . .

The law imposed a ban on smoking in public places, public transport and on the advertisement of tobacco products. Common people expressed mixed reactions about the law and it is observed that smoking in public places has reduced dramatically.

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• New anti-tobacco law to affect 30m people of North Bengal 

Leaders of the national convening committee for the Bangladesh Biri-Cigarette Owners-Labourers and Tobacco Farmers (BBCOLTF) took up heavily on the recently enacted 'Tobacco Control Act' and demanded the government to repeal it in the greater interest of people.

"Enacting such a law was nothing but a wrong decision and people should not support it as it is based on ignorance. Government's such decision turning Bangladesh into a country without any tobacco industry, but not a country free from smokers," said Karimuddin Bharasa, a lawmaker and President of the Bangladesh Biri Industry Owners Association.

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• Anti-smoking law effective from today 

The law restricting smoking at public places comes into effect from today as per Thursday's government gazette notification issued on the "Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) Act 2005".

There is provision for a fine of Tk 50 for violating the law that was passed in parliament on March 13.

"The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare set the date through a gazette notification as per sub-clause 1(2) of the Act after the president's consent to the bill," an official announcement said on Thursday.

The law defines as public places educational institutions, offices of the government, semi-government and autonomous bodies, libraries, elevators, hospitals and clinics, court buildings, airport buildings, sea and river port buildings, railway station buildings, bus terminal buildings, ferries, cinema halls, covered exhibition centres, theatres, shopping centres, public toilets, and government and private owned children parks. . . .

The law, however, does not prohibit smoking in open space, hotels and restaurants and parks.

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• Tobacco farmers to get micro credit to produce alternative crop 

The government will distribute micro credit among the tobacco farmers for the next five years for producing alternative crops to tobacco, said Health Minister Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain on Tuesday, reports UNB.

"The government is going to launch a micro credit project soon for the tobacco farmers to discourage tobacco production. The government will introduce more projects in near future to gradually reduce the tobacco production," the minister said addressing a press conference at the Press Information Department on Tuesday noon.

The news conference followed the passage of the Smoking and Tobacco Product Usage (Control) Bill, 2005 in the current session of the 8th parliament, restricting smoking at public places and public transports.

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