Dhaka: Church applauds government ban on electronic cigarettes

The decision was approved by the interim government at the end of a meeting chaired by Yunus. Vapes will be added to the list of items whose importation is prohibited. Fears over the possible development of a clandestine market. 67% of deaths are attributed to non-communicable diseases, with smoking and tobacco use being the main causes.

Dhaka (AsiaNews) - The Bangladesh government has officially banned the import of electronic cigarettes (or vapes) and all related products in order to safeguard public health and protect future generations.

This decision, approved by the interim government advisory council with applause from the local Catholic Church, adds so-called e-cigarettes - or Ends, electronic nicotine delivery systems - to the list of prohibited items.

A list drawn up at the Ministry of Commerce in Dhaka, which sets out the prohibited articles and whose entry into the country is forbidden by law.

The decision was announced following a meeting chaired by Acting Prime Minister Yunus at his cabinet office on 12 December. This was followed by a press release from the division confirming the introduction of the new public health policy, which stems from a proposal made by the Health Department of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

According to the department, the ban was necessary to provide a concrete response to the growing health concerns associated with the use of e-cigarettes, particularly among young people.

‘It is necessary,’ the department emphasised in a note, ’to take urgent measures to ban these products and ensure the public health and safety of future generations.

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) have come under global criticism for their potential health risks, including addiction and respiratory problems. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has repeatedly called on countries to regulate or ban their use, citing the dangers to users and even non-users, who are exposed to indirect emissions and second-hand smoke.

P. Francis Nirmal Gomes, a Brother of the Holy Cross (CSC), director of the Bangladesh Drug Rehabilitation and Care Centre (Baraca), welcomed the government's import ban on electronic cigarettes. ‘This is very good news for the country,’ he said, while expressing hope that the measure would also reduce ‘the number of users’. However, the cleric also expressed ‘concern’ about potential illegal imports of the product. ‘This is a big challenge for the government, which must rise to the occasion,’ he added, ‘to protect our young people.

Baraca, a core project of Caritas Bangladesh, provides services to hundreds of people struggling with addiction. Fr Gomes noted that the use of e-cigarettes is on the rise among young people in Bangladesh, with an alarming increase in smoking even among women.

‘Young people, including women, are becoming addicted to dangerous substances,’ stressing the “urgent need” for measures to curb the “import and use” of these harmful products. The experts warned that tobacco use contributes significantly to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Bangladesh, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, and chronic respiratory diseases. Currently, 67 per cent of deaths in Bangladesh are attributed to NCDs, with smoking and tobacco use being the leading causes.

According to recent data 37.8 million adults in the South Asian country use tobacco and 38.4 million are exposed to second-hand smoke in public spaces, workplaces and public transport.

The result is devastating: some 161,000 people die each year from tobacco-related diseases. At the same time, the use of e-cigarettes, although less well documented, is growing, especially among young people. Bangladesh is also the first country in the region in terms of tobacco consumption, partly due to inadequate enforcement of prevention measures.

Dhaka also has yet to meet global standards for creating a smoke-free environment and regulating advertising and incentives for tobacco products. The first electronic cigarette device, which marked a significant breakthrough in alternatives to smoking, was developed in 2003 by Chinese pharmacist Hon Lik, who had previously been vice-director of the Liaoning Province Institute of Chinese Medicine.

Since 2007, the global popularity of e-cigarettes has been steadily increasing, from 11 million users to 82 million in 2021. No data on the prevalence of e-cigarette use is currently available in Bangladesh.