Bangladesh urged to amend tobacco act and ban vapes

The Development Organization for Rural Poor (DORP) in Bangladesh is urging the government to pass an amendment banning electronic cigarettes in order to achieve a smoke-free state by 2040.

During a recent press conference, Mohammad Zobayer Hasan, the deputy executive director of DORP organization, alleged that tobacco companies were spreading rumors against the amendment of the tobacco control law. "We demand that the government revise this bill immediately," he stated.

Professor Md Abdul Aziz, a Congress member, attended the event and claimed that electronic cigarettes are part of the problem rather than the solution. He stated that 42 countries have already banned the use of electronic cigarettes globally and Bangladesh is lagging behind in this regard.

Last year, international tobacco harm reduction advocates sent a letter to the Bangladeshi authorities urging them to reconsider their proposed ban on electronic cigarettes, citing their potential to aid smoking cessation. The Bangladeshi government should encourage people to switch from high-risk combustible cigarettes to the lower-risk alternatives provided by electronic cigarettes.

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The government of Bangladesh has been urged to amend the local tobacco law in order to enact a ban on the use of vaping devices.