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Friday | September 25, 2026 | Dhaka

Protect young people’s lungs from tobacco and nicotine products: PROGGA

 Staff Reporter
 Published: 4:08 PM, 25 September 2026

The government must take immediate steps to protect young people from tobacco and emerging nicotine products as the country observes World Lung Day 2026 on Thursday, research and advocacy organisation PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) has said.

World Lung Day, observed on September 25, is being marked this year under the theme “A Lifetime of Lung Health”, highlighting the importance of protecting respiratory health throughout life.

Lung and respiratory diseases remain among the leading causes of premature death worldwide. Tobacco use is a major risk factor for serious respiratory conditions, including lung cancer, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), tuberculosis and asthma.

According to the Bangladesh Sample Vital Statistics 2023, two of the country’s top five causes of death are lung and respiratory diseases.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has also warned that both active and passive smoking pose serious risks to lung health.

In Bangladesh, tobacco-related diseases claim nearly 200,000 lives every year, while 35.3 per cent of adults currently use tobacco, according to the statement.

The growing availability and use of emerging nicotine products have added another concern, particularly among teenagers and young adults.

E-cigarettes, vaping devices, heated tobacco products and nicotine pouches remain outside the effective scope of existing tobacco-control legislation, according to PROGGA. The organisation said their use among young people is increasing at an alarming rate.

In a statement issued ahead of World Lung Day, ABM Zubair, Executive Director of PROGGA, called for stronger measures to prevent the expansion of both conventional tobacco and newer nicotine products.

“To safeguard lung health, immediate and appropriate measures must be taken to curb the use and expansion of traditional tobacco products as well as e-cigarettes, vaping, and other emerging nicotine products,” he said.

PROGGA said protecting young people from nicotine addiction is particularly important because exposure to tobacco and nicotine products at an early age can increase the risk of continued use and long-term health consequences.

The organisation’s call comes as Bangladesh continues to face a substantial burden of tobacco-related disease and death. The prevalence of tobacco use, combined with exposure to second-hand smoke and the emergence of new nicotine products, poses a continuing challenge to public health.

On World Lung Day, PROGGA urged the authorities to strengthen tobacco control measures and take appropriate action to prevent young people from being exposed to and using tobacco and nicotine products.

The organisation stressed that protecting lung health requires measures that address both established tobacco products and newer products that are increasingly being marketed and used among younger populations.