Call to bring all tobacco products under tax net

23 May 2010, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent

Speakers at a roundtable discussion yesterday urged the government to bring all sorts of tobacco products under the Tobacco Control Act and the tax net to control their widespread use. They said like smoking, use of jarda, gul and sadapata (white leaf) causes different diseases such as cancer, tuberculosis and stroke. But those are yet to be brought under the act and the tax net. But the government should bring those sorts of tobacco products under the act and the tax net to control the widespread use of those, the speakers said. The demands were placed at the roundtable styled 'Present perspective of tobacco control in Bangladesh and functions' organised by the Bangladesh Anti-Tobacco Alliance (BATA) at the Senate Building of Dhaka University, said a press release. Paribesh Bachao Andolan (Poba) Chairman Abu Naser Khan presided over the roundtable with former inspector general of police Dr Enamul Haq and Bangladesh Cancer Society President Prof Obaydullah Baki, among others, addressing it. Around 57,000 people die, 4 lakh become paralysed and 12 lakh suffer different kinds of diseases every year because of using the tobacco and tobacco products. That is why the prices of the tobacco and tobacco products should be increased and the act should be implemented strictly to control the use, they said. They also emphasised broadcasting and publishing reports and articles in the different print and electronics media focusing adverse impacts of the tobacco.