Youth demand ban on e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches to protect public health
More than 100 anti-tobacco youth advocates have called for a ban on the production, import, marketing and sale of e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches and other emerging nicotine products, warning that their growing availability could expose young people to addiction and serious health risks.
The demand was made at a youth conference titled The Role of Youth in Protecting Public Health from the Harmful Effects of Tobacco, organised by the Development Organisation of the Rural Poor (DORP) at the CIRDAP Auditorium in Dhaka on Monday, marking International Youth Day 2026.
Speaking as chief guest, Md Akhter-Uz-Zaman, Director General of the National Tobacco Control Cell, said protecting public health and ensuring effective tobacco control were among the key commitments of the current government’s election manifesto.
He described young people as the country’s future leaders and stressed the need to protect them from the harmful effects of new nicotine products, including e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches.
“The youth of the country are the main force of future leadership. Therefore, it is essential to protect the younger generation from the harmful effects of new nicotine products,” he said.
Akhter-Uz-Zaman said the concerns raised by youth advocates over the potential health risks of such products should be considered from a public health perspective. He also expressed hope that government cooperation and support would continue for youth-led anti-tobacco initiatives.
In his welcome address, DORP Chairman Mohammad Nurul Amin said at least 16 countries, including Singapore, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Russia, had banned nicotine pouches to protect public health and prevent nicotine addiction among young people.
He expressed concern that imposing taxes on nicotine pouches, nicotine granules and heated tobacco products in Bangladesh’s budget for the 2026–27 fiscal year could create opportunities for their market expansion and increase the risk of nicotine addiction among young people.
DORP Founder and Chief Executive AHM Noman, who chaired the conference, said tobacco-related diseases caused nearly 200,000 premature deaths in Bangladesh every year.
He said the health and environmental costs associated with tobacco reached around Tk 87,000 crore in 2024, more than twice the revenue generated by the tobacco sector.
Referring to World Health Organization findings, Noman said young people who use e-cigarettes are three times more likely to subsequently become addicted to conventional cigarettes or other tobacco products.
He called for strict enforcement of the amended Tobacco Control Act 2026, with public health protection given the highest priority, and urged the government to take effective measures to prevent the expansion of emerging nicotine products.
The youth advocates said nicotine pouches can contain high levels of nicotine, potentially causing severe addiction and posing risks to brain development among children and adolescents, as well as cardiovascular and other health risks.
They also warned that e-cigarette aerosols may contain harmful substances, including formaldehyde, arsenic and lead, which could contribute to serious health problems.
The advocates urged the government to introduce strict legal measures to prevent the promotion and easy availability of e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches and other emerging nicotine products.
They also called for the prompt formulation of rules under the Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) Act, 2005, as amended in 2026, arguing that effective implementation of the amended law is essential to prevent young people from becoming addicted to new forms of nicotine.
