Create tobacco-free tourism sector

"63 countries -- including Canada, Spain and Nepal -- have legal prohibitions on any kind of smoking, including in Designated Smoking Areas (DSA). But our country's law allows DSAs to exist within public places, including inside train, launches, airports, and restaurants," Mokhlesur Rahman, assistant director of Dhaka Ahsania Mission's health sector, said at a webinar held on Wednesday.

The event, titled 'Role of  Media in Building A Tobacco Free Bangladesh 2040', was jointly organised by Aviation and Tourism Journalists Forum of Bangladesh (ATJFB) and Dhaka  Ahsania Mission.

Speakers demanded that the government lift the provision of keeping DSAs in public places in order to protect non-smokers from  being victims of second-hand smoking.

They said the Tobacco Control Act should be amended to prohibit smoking in all kinds  of public places and demanded the use of any type of tobacco product.

They also urged the government to amend the act to make tourist areas completely smoke-free.

"If a 100% smoke-free policy could harm the tourism sector then Bhutan -- a 100% smoke-free country -- wouldn't be doing so well," said Abdus Salam Mia, grants manager at Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids Bangladesh.

Iqbal Masood, director of health and wash sector, Dhaka  Ahsania Mission; Sharaf  Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury, CEO, Savar Municipality; Sarkar Shams Bin  Sharif, communications officer, Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids  Bangladesh, among others, spoke at the event.