The northern region of Bangladesh is extremely poverty stricken. About half of the population lives below poverty line. The northern region is famous for tobacco production and use. Further, the country’s famous and large Biri (poor people’s smoking stick) production area is situated in this region. Most of the labor force including women and children involved in Biri production. About 32 Biri Production Company working in this region as it is famous for Tobacco production. About 40,000 farmers of the district involved in tobacco production. These companies are bringing the Biri in Dhaka and supplying all over the country. It can be mentioned that the Biri producing from this region is mitigating the needs of whole country. Along with that there are about 100 Cigarette Company, they are encouraging the farmers to produce the tobacco. Not only that some of the company providing advance money to the farmers for producing quality tobacco. But tobacco control not even prioritized as a national agenda. Yet tobacco use is widespread and has been increasing rapidly, and knowledge about the harm of it causes to health is very little. The negative effect needs to be informed to all level people so that they give up tobacco use and stop production.
Traditionally, Bangladeshi men and women smoke cigarettes, biri and hukka, as well as chew tobacco leaf with betel quid. But people are not aware about its negative effect on health and disease. These information needs to be disseminated among the smokers and other tobacco users.
It need strong monitoring system but in fact, it got very little attention by the government. Smoking rates in the country 66.1% and is increasing trend is really alarming. However, it is substantially increasing economic burden and contributing to malnutrition as people spend much for tobacco use. So, it is important to reduce to tobacco use.
For economic benefit the farmers are producing tobacco in plenty but we need to motivate the farmer to stop the tobacco production through introducing alternative production and providing incentive.
There is no comprehensive tobacco control policy or legislation, a few measures are being enforced in the country: warning labels on cigarette, biri packets, banning the advertisement in electronic media and prohibitions of smoking in public places and transports. But there are no measures are taken by the government to ensure the practice legislation. The tobacco companies are promoting their products by attractive billboards, and publishing advertisements in newspapers and magazines. These activities must have to stop. Efforts are now need to intensify to expedite the process to enforcing an appropriate anti tobacco legislation and raise mass awareness.
Additional Activities that needs to be undertaken are: Inception Session to inform the program among the people and seeking cooperation and Establishing Baseline
The direct activities that would attain the goal, objectives and outputs are: Formation of Union based Anti Tobacco Committee (ATC), Formation of Upazila and District level Committee, Providing Training and workshop, Mass Awareness, Arranging Dialogue session, Regular Advocacy, Ban of Advertisement, Prohibition of Smoking in public place and gathering, Farmers awareness and ensuring involvement in alternative Income Options, Review existing policy, Ensuring practice of existing polity, Advocacy to ensure practice and reform policy, Press Conference, Round Table Discussion, Continuous working with the Agriculture officials, Enforcing ban for promoting and advertising and Networking.
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