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Strong tobacco control policies:


High youth smoking prevalence:


Major recent decreases in smoking:


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How many people die from smoking in Bangladesh each year?

129,055

What is the economic cost of smoking and tobacco use in Bangladesh each year?

252,988,424,192

takas

Current Rates of Smoking and Tobacco Use in Bangladesh

Tobacco use continues to be an epidemic in Bangladesh. Government complacency in the face of the tobacco epidemic protects the tobacco industry in Bangladesh as the death toll grows each year. Proponents of healthier societies must push for the implementation of evidence-based best practices in tobacco control to create change and reduce the negative effects of tobacco use.

Adult Smoking Prevalence in Bangladesh

15+ years old; 2019

Men

44.9%

Women

2.1%

Adult smoking prevalence in Bangladesh is 23%.

Number of Adult Smokers in Bangladesh

15+ years old; 2019

Men

25,039,514

Women

1,163,386

Number of adult smokers in Bangladesh is 26,202,900.

Youth Smoking Prevalence in Bangladesh

10-14 years old; 2019

Men

8.6%

Women

2.7%

Youth smoking prevalence in Bangladesh is 6%.

Adult Smokeless Tobacco Use in Bangladesh

15+ years old; smokeless tobacco includes snus, chewing tobacco, gutkha, etc.; 2019

Both Men and Women

28%

Adult smokeless tobacco use prevalence in Bangladesh is 28%.

Deaths Caused by Tobacco in Bangladesh

% deaths attributable to tobacco use in 2019

Men

22%

Women

6.4%

15% of all deaths in Bangladesh are caused by tobacco use.

Negative Effect of Tobacco Use in Bangladesh

Tobacco use harms both the public and fiscal health of Bangladesh, threatening efforts to improve equity, alleviate poverty, and protect the environment.

Harms Impact

Societal Harms

The economic cost of smoking Bangladesh is 252,988,424,192 takas. This includes direct costs related to healthcare expenditures and indirect costs related to lost productivity caused by illness and premature death.

Harms Impact

Harms Development

Tobacco spending diverts funds from the resources that families need to rise out of poverty. On average in Bangladesh, a smoker must spend 5.76% of GDP per capita to buy 100 packs of the most popular cigarettes in a year.

Harms Impact

Environmental Harms

Cigarette butts are the most commonly discarded pieces of waste worldwide. It is estimated that 16,242 tons of butts wind up as toxic trash in Bangladesh each year, equal to 4,641 female African elephants.

Harms Impact

Harms Health Equity

The tobacco industry markets its products aggressively to lower-income populations and youth in Bangladesh.

Harms Impact

Harms NCDs

Not only is smoking a major risk factor for the 4 largest noncommunicable diseases (cancer, heart diseases, respiratory diseases, and diabetes), but people living with mental illness are nearly 2x as likely to smoke as other individuals.

Learn more about Health Effects.

Impact of the Tobacco Supply Chain on Bangladesh

The tobacco industry profits significantly from producing and selling tobacco. At the same time, across the tobacco supply chain, there are significant negative health and economic repercussions for Bangladesh.

Harms Impact

Tobacco Production

There were more than 5,000,000,000,000 cigarettes produced in the world in 2019, or nearly 2 cigarettes per person per day.

Harms Impact

Tobacco Industry

The total revenue of the 6 largest tobacco companies in the world was USD 336 billion in 2019, about the same as Viet Nam's Gross National Income (GNI), 5x Ghana's GNI and 9x Paraguay's GNI.

Harms Impact

Tobacco Growing

There were 128597 tons of tobacco produced in Bangladesh in 2019 on 59640 hectares of quality agricultural land that could have been used to grow food.

Learn more about global Product Sales and Growing.

Ending the Tobacco Epidemic in Bangladesh

Fortunately, there are evidence-based—i.e. proven—solutions to the challenges posed by tobacco use. For several decades, governments around the world have been introducing a set of policies that address the demand for tobacco products, particularly among youth. These policies effectively reduce consumption and are cost-effective because they save goverments enormous amounts of money in health care spending and increase economic productivity.

Current Tobacco Control Policies in Bangladesh

Designated Smoke-Free Areas in Bangladesh

Yes

Healthcare Facilities

Yes

Educational Facilities

Yes

Universities

Yes

Government Facilities

Yes

Indoor Offices

No

Restaurants

No

Pubs and Bars

No

Public Transport

N/A

All Other Indoor Public Places

No

Funds for Enforcement

Availability of Cessation Services in Bangladesh

Quitting Resources

NRT (Nicotine replacement therapy) and/or some cessation services (neither cost-covered)

National Quit Line

No

Learn more about best practices in Cessation.

Tobacco Packaging Regulations in Bangladesh

Quality of Tobacco Packaging Regulation

None

Text warning label only

Graphic warning label only

Plain Packaging with graphic warning label

% of Pack Covered

50%

Learn more about best practices in Counter Marketing.

Tobacco Control Mass Media Campaigns in Bangladesh

Ran a National Anti-Tobacco Campaign

Yes

Part Of A Comprehensive Tobacco Control Program

Yes

Pre-Tested With The Target Audience

No

Target Audience Research Was Conducted

No

Aired On Television And/Or Radio

Yes

Utilized Media Planning

Yes

Earned Media/Public Relations Were Used To Promote The Campaign

Yes

Process Evaluation Was Used To Assess Implementation

Yes

Outcome Evaluation Was Used To Assess Effectiveness

No

Learn more about best practices in Mass Media.

Tobacco Tax Policies in Bangladesh

Using evidence-based international recommendations/best practices, the Tobaccononomics Cigarette Tax Scorecard assesses four components of tax systems — price, change in affordability, tax share, and structure — on a scale of 0 to 5, where a higher score is preferred.

Overall Score

2.63

The overall score is an average of the four component scores.

Cigarette Price

1

Consumers respond to higher prices by decreasing consumption and some quit using tobacco.

Change in Affordability Over Time

5

In addition to price, change in affordability is critical. Cigarettes need to become less affordable for consumption to decline.

Tax Share of Price

3.5

Large tax shares of price are usually a good indicator that taxes are working.

Tax Structure

1

Best practices include relying more on uniform specific excise taxes that are adjusted regularly to outpace growth and inflation.

Learn more about the Scorecard in Bangladesh.

Regulations on Tobacco Advertising, Promotion, and Sponsorship (TAPS) in Bangladesh

Marketing is the key avenue that tobacco companies use to reach consumers, new and old. Restricting or eliminating marketing is key to tobacco control success.

Direct Bans 7 out of 7 direct bans implemented

National TV and radio

Yes

International TV and radio

Yes

Local magazines and newspapers

Yes

International magazines and newspapers

Yes

Billboard and outdoor advertising

Yes

Advertising at point of sale

Yes

Advertising on internet

Yes

Ad Ban Compliance: 65%

Indirect Bans 4 out of 10 indirect bans implemented

Free distribution in mail or through other means

Yes

Promotional discounts

Yes

Non-tobacco products identified with tobacco brand names

No

Brand name of non-tobacco products used for tobacco product

No

Appearance in TV and/or films: tobacco brands (product placement)

No

Appearance in TV and/or films: tobacco products

No

Prescribed anti-tobacco ads required for any visual entertainment media product that depicts tobacco products, use or images

Yes

Complete ban on sponsorship

No

Any form of contribution (financial or other support) to any event, activity or individual

No

Ban on the publicity of financial or other sponsorship or support by the tobacco industry of events, activities, individuals

Yes

Ad Ban Compliance: 65%

Source: GTCR