Tobacco, nicotine products threaten country’s progress towards SDGs

Tobacco and nicotine products are posing a major obstacle to Bangladesh’s efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly the target of reducing premature deaths from non-communicable diseases (NCDs), experts said at a roundtable in Dhaka on Tuesday.

Nearly 71 per cent of all deaths in Bangladesh are attributable to NCDs, including cardiovascular diseases, stroke and cancer, while tobacco use remains one of the major contributing factors, they said.

Without stronger legislation and effective enforcement, Bangladesh will struggle to achieve the SDG target of reducing premature NCD deaths by one-third, speakers warned.

The remarks came at a roundtable titled “Tobacco Control, NCDs and SDGs: Bangladesh’s Progress and Way Forward”, organised by PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) and the Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA) at the CIRDAP Auditorium.

The discussion highlighted that around 200,000 people die every year in Bangladesh from tobacco-related diseases, making tobacco use a major public health challenge and a serious barrier to achieving SDG 3, which focuses on ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all.

Speakers also stressed that the impact of tobacco extends far beyond public health, affecting progress towards almost every SDG, including poverty reduction, food security, quality education, gender equality, environmental protection, climate action and biodiversity conservation.

They welcomed the government’s recent amendment to the tobacco control law as an important step but expressed concern that the finalised legislation does not adequately cover emerging products such as e-cigarettes, vapes and nicotine pouches.

They called for urgent legal measures to regulate such products, warning that their growing availability could undermine tobacco control efforts and expose particularly young people to nicotine addiction.

Speakers noted that several countries have already banned e-cigarettes and vaping products because of concerns over their public health impacts.

They also urged the government to formulate the necessary rules under the amended tobacco control law without delay and ensure effective enforcement of the legislation.

Another key demand was the implementation of Article 5.3 of the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which seeks to protect public health policies from tobacco industry interference.

National Professor Dr Mahbub Ullah, who chaired the event and attended as chief guest, said tobacco control should not be viewed solely as a health-sector issue.

“Tobacco control goes beyond the health sector and is directly linked to the country’s development, economy, and the protection of future generations,” he said.

“Translating political and institutional commitments to tobacco control into action would help accelerate progress towards achieving the SDGs,” he added.

Professor Dr Golam Mohiuddin Faruque, president of the Bangladesh Cancer Society, said the suffering of cancer patients demonstrated the devastating consequences of tobacco consumption.

“The woes of cancer patients reveal the terrible consequences of tobacco use. Tobacco control measures must be strengthened to protect people from the poison of tobacco,” he said.

Media organisations also have an important role to play in strengthening public awareness and ensuring proper implementation of tobacco control measures, speakers said.

Zahirul Alam, executive director of Channel24, said the media could help build mass awareness about the dangers of tobacco and support effective enforcement of the law.

Reaz Ahmad, editor of Dhaka Tribune, called for greater media coverage of the links between tobacco use, NCDs and the SDGs.

“Media platforms should publish more pieces that highlight how the issue of tobacco control is linked with tackling NCDs and achieving SDGs,” he said.

The keynote presentation was delivered by Hasan Shahriar, head of programmes at PROGGA.

ATMA Convener Mortuza Haider Liton and ABM Zubair, executive director of PROGGA, also addressed the event, along with representatives of various tobacco control organisations.

The session was moderated by Nadira Kiron, co-convener of ATMA.

The speakers emphasised that stronger laws alone would not be sufficient unless accompanied by effective enforcement, public awareness and safeguards against industry interference. They called for tobacco control to be integrated into Bangladesh’s broader development strategy as the country works towards meeting its SDG commitments.