Staff Reporter, Dhaka : The anti-tobacco organizations including Dhaka Ahsaniya Mission have expressed their solidarity in front of the head office of Dhaka Ahsaniya Mission in Dhanmondi on Tuesday morning (March 14, 2023) demanding a higher rate of tax on tobacco products in the budget of the next fiscal year 2023-24 for the health protection of women, children and youth.

Mentioning the health risks of passive smoking, one of the speaker said, “passive smoking during pregnancy increases the chance of mortality within 24 hours of giving birth or stillbirth at a significant rate. Even the production of breast milk decreases also.

Another speaker in the program said that not only the health protection of women, but also about 10 lakh young people can be stopped from using tobacco and about 5 lakh young people will be saved from premature death by imposing a higher rate of tax on tobacco products. Moreover, additional revenue of about 10 thousand crore rupees can be collected through enforcement.

According to the World Health Organization among 1 billion people worldwide who smokes, 200 million are women; moreover, about 220 million women die due to tobacco consumption every year. More than 71 percent of these women are from middle- and low-income countries like Bangladesh. The risk of tobacco-related illness and death is also high in these areas, said the speakers.

Smoking rates among women are increasing in many countries around the world. 80 percent of the people are women who are being affected by environmental damage caused by tobacco usage and climate change.

8 million people die every year due to tobacco consumption around the world; whereas Bangladesh looses 1 lac 61 thousand separately. Out of this, 12 lakh people are victims of passive smoking or indirect smoking. In addition, passive smoking increases the risk of heart disease by 85%. Additionally the women are 25 percent more likely to develop cancer and heart disease than men.

Sajedul Qayyum Dulal, Executive-Director, Dhaka Ahsania Mission, Iqbal Masud, Director, Health and WASH Sector, Dhaka Ahsania Mission, Mostafizur Rahman, Lead Policy Advisor, Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids (CTFK), and the representatives from TCRC and WBB Trust were present in the program.