New campaign urges Bangladeshis to support smoke-free laws

A powerful national mass-media and an info-sign campaign has been launched in Dhaka, urging Bangladeshis to fall in line with the country’s smoke-free laws.

‘Dhoa’ (Smoke), has been produced with technical support from Vital Strategies, which also supported an info-sign campaign in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, World Health Organization and the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids.

State Minister for Health Zahid Malek set the campaign rolling on Tuesday.

‘Dhoa’ will be aired on national TV channels for four weeks from July 14.

The 30-second public service announcement shows the harms of second-hand smoke, explains the benefits of Bangladesh’s smoke-free laws and the need for compliance, and draws attention to the new info-sign campaign.

It aims to increase support for and understanding of the need for comprehensive smoke-free laws and aims to make smokers and non-smokers more confident in asserting their right to breathe air free of second-hand smoke.

The info-sign campaign has been designed to feature specific, tailored messages appropriate for eleven different types of establishments: Educational Institutions, libraries, exhibition centres, hospitals and clinic buildings, cinemas, theatre, restaurants, children's parks, covered sports & exercise venues, public transport, and hotels.

The signs will be put up at selected establishments in Bangladesh’s major metropolitan areas.

The state minister said the government was “committed” to reducing tobacco-related health problems and premature death for the benefit of the people and the economy.

This is also compatible with the commitments made under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Developments, he said.

“Clearly, it’s essential to address the issue of second-hand smoke to protect the health of non-smokers, especially women and children,” he said, urging people to heed this powerful campaign.

President and Chief Executive Officer of Vital Strategies José Luis Castro congratulated the Bangladesh government on the launch of the campaign.

He said the government showed its continuing commitment to protecting the health of Bangladeshis from the deadly harms of tobacco.

“We are delighted to support the Government in this initiative, and also recognize the invaluable contribution of World Health Organization and the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids”.

“The combination of ‘Dhoa’s’ hard-hitting message to increase awareness and the new info-signs providing additional, ongoing prompts for behaviour change, is sure to have a real impact on protecting smokers and non-smokers,” he said. 

According to The Tobacco Atlas, tobacco is the cause of 14.6 percent of adult male deaths and 5.7 percent of adult female deaths in Bangladesh – more than the average in other low-income countries.

Tobacco-related diseases – including stroke - kills almost 100,000 Bangladeshis every year, while another 382,000 suffer from chronic illnesses caused by tobacco.

Research has shown that mass media campaigns are among the most effective means to discourage tobacco use.

The Vital Strategies was formed when The Union North America and World Lung Foundation joined forces.  It is an affiliate of The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union).