Anti-tobacco campaigners on Friday came up with television commercials to sensitise people about the new tobacco control law as they complained the “landmark” law was being widely violated.
The law was passed in April last year after more than four years of dawdling.
The commercials will pinpoint three types of new additions that include defining smokeless tobacco products as tobacco, banning tobacco advertisement even at the point-of-sales, and banning sale of tobacco products to and by minors.
The commercials will be screened on five leading television stations at least for a month.
Progga, a leading anti-tobacco group, with the help of the US-based Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and New York’s Bloomberg Philanthropists launched those commercials.
A rally with anti-tobacco campaigners was also taken out in the capital’s Shahbagh on Friday marking the launching.
Progga says they have also stuck bills across Bangladesh to make people aware of the law and the TVCs.
The new law is being regarded as a landmark as it also keeps provision of pictorial health warnings on the packets, with many other additions.
Penalties for violation have been increased, as well.
The anti-tobacco groups have been persistent in pressing the lawmakers for the passage of the law.
Even they had hung a “death clock” counting the number of deaths in each minute because of tobacco consumption to pressurise the MPs.
WHO says around 57,000 people die annually from tobacco-related diseases in Bangladesh, and more than 300,000 suffer.
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