EVERY year, May 31 marks World No Tobacco Day, a global observance not merely symbolic but a rallying cry for awareness, policy reforms and collective action. Since its introduction by the World Health Organisation in 1988, this day has highlighted tobacco鈥檚 widespread harm and urged governments and civil societies to curb its grip. The 2025 theme for the day, 鈥楿nmasking the Appeal: Exposing Industry Tactics on Tobacco and Nicotine Products鈥�, exposes the manipulative tactics employed by the tobacco industry to lure young consumers, a warning for countries such as Bangladesh where tobacco use has spiralled into a public health emergency, an environmental hazard and an economic burden.
Bangladesh is at a critical juncture. Tobacco use here is not a matter of individual choice or habit. It is a deeply entrenched public health disaster. According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey report, 35.3 per cent of adults, or 37.8 million people, in Bangladesh use tobacco products and about 38.4 million adults, even without smoking, are exposed to indirect smoking in public places, at work and in public transports. The repercussion of the crisis is staggering: around 161,000 tobacco-related death annually and permanent disability in more than 400,000 individuals.
The statistics translate into immense healthcare costs. According to the Bangladesh Cancer Society, tobacco-related illnesses account for more than Tk 30,560 crore in annual medical expenses, far exceeding the Tk 22,810 crore collected by the government in revenue from tobacco taxes in the 2017鈥�18 financial year. In other words, tobacco is not only killing people but also draining national resources. The losses paint a grim reality: the financial cost of tobacco far outweighs its perceived economic benefits.
Despite this evidence, the tobacco industry continues to operate unchecked, leveraging financial influence and subtle propaganda to maintain its market. The marketing does not rely solely on advertisements, now banned in many formats, on behind-the-scenes lobbying. Influential economists, journalists and policy advisers are subtly engaged in opposing strict tobacco control laws.
Even more alarming is the industry鈥檚 deliberate targeting of low-income groups and youth. By keeping the price of low-tier cigarettes artificially low 鈥� only a 22 per cent price increase in the past five years compared with a 32 per cent rise in consumer price index 鈥� the industry ensures its products remain accessible to the poor and the young. In real terms, cigarettes have become cheaper, not costlier.
Tobacco companies also capitalise on digital platforms and social media to glamourise smoking, especially among young people. The campaigns promote tobacco as a symbol of a way of life and independence, exploiting adolescent psychology and social insecurity. The health of a generation is sacrificed for short-term profits.
Tobacco harms not only individuals but also the environment and food security. Bangladesh produces around 1.3 per cent of global tobacco, yet the crop鈥檚 cultivation leads to disproportionate ecological damage. Tobacco farming depletes soil fertility beause of a high chemical use, contributes to deforestation, wastes vast quantities of water and increases air pollution through curing processes.
While some farmers find tobacco financially attractive in the short term, the long-term environmental degradation renders their land less productive for food crops, thereby threatening national food security. In a country already vulnerable to climate change and population pressures, this is a dangerous trade-off.
The government has made legal efforts to curtail tobacco use. The Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) Act was first made in 2005, revised in 2013 and reinforced with new regulations in 2015. It prohibits smoking in public places and vehicles, bans tobacco advertising and sponsorship and mandates graphic health warnings on packaging.
However, the measures are poorly enforced. Monitoring is irregular, implementation is inconsistent and violations often go unpunished. Tobacco companies exploit legal loopholes and enforcement gaps to maintain their influence. For instance, flavoured and electronic nicotine products are becoming popular with the youth, operating in legal gray areas where clear regulations are lacking.
Tobacco is a known cause of multiple fatal diseases: lung cancer, heart disease, strokes, bronchitis, asthma, high blood pressure and respiratory ailments. It also leads to cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, stomach and liver. Chemicals such as nicotine, tar and carbon monoxide damage cellular structures and blood vessels, reducing life expectancy and the quality of life.
The harm begins even before birth. Pregnant women who smoke or are exposed to passive smoking are more likely to give birth to underweight or stillborn babies. Their children face higher risks of birth defects and developmental issues. Children raised in smoking households frequently develop asthma and other respiratory illnesses and are more likely to become smokers later in life. This is a vicious circle of health deterioration across generations.
Tobacco control is not a task of the health ministry alone. It requires a whole-of-society approach. Families must model healthy behaviours, schools should integrate anti-tobacco education into curriculums and teachers must educate students about the dangers of smoking.
Awareness campaigns across schools, colleges and universities can equip the youth with the knowledge to resist peer pressure and corporate manipulation. Media, both traditional and digital, must expose deceptive industry tactics and support evidence-based reporting on tobacco harms.
Local government bodies such as city corporations, municipalities and union councils can play a proactive role. Licensing conditions for retail shops can include bans on selling tobacco products. Mobile courts should enforce prohibitions against selling cigarettes to minors, particularly those in school uniforms.
Tax reform is also imperative. To reduce affordability, experts recommend an increase in price of low-tier cigarettes by at least 33 per cent and increasing the supplementary duty from 60 per cent to 67 per cent. Although this might temporarily reduce sales, it would decrease consumption, boost state revenue, and lower long-term healthcare costs.
A smoke-free society is not only a health objective but a moral obligation. Tobacco is robbing children of their future, polluting the environment and crippling the economy. The time has come to declare tobacco not only a public health threat but also a national emergency.
What is needed now is not mere legislation but political courage. Political parties must include a tobacco-free vision in their manifestos and commit to implementing it when they go to power. Government agencies must enforce laws with zero tolerance. And above all, civil society must unite behind a shared goal: to protect the next generation from an entirely preventable epidemic.
The path to a tobacco-free Bangladesh demands five pillars: strong political commitment, robust law enforcement, public awareness, economic reform, and a vibrant grass-roots movement. The message should be unequivocal: e choose health over addiction, clarity over corruption and life over slow death.
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听A Hossain is political and defense analyst.