The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Rajshahi

Speakers of a view sharing session on Sunday underscored the need for an immediate step to protect the women and children from tobacco attack. They called for a collective efforts of all quarters to overcome the crises. Association for Community Development (ACD) under its 'Peoples Initiative to Tobacco Control: A Step towards Smoke-free Rajshahi Division Project' organized the meeting titled "Women and Tobacco: Bangladesh Perspective" at the ACD conference hall in observance of the No Tobacco Day.

Project Coordinator Ehsanul Amin Emon presented a keynote paper on 'Women in Tobacco's Aggression: Our roles to protect and prevent it' illustrating the demerits of the tobacco uses. Chaired by Executive Director of ACD, Salima Sarwar, the session was addressed by Local unit Chairman of Jatiya Mohila Sangstha Advocate Morzina Parveen, Medical Officer of Civil Surgeon Office Dr Habiba Ara Begum and its Senior Health Education Officer Sharifa Begum and Advocate Shamsunnaher Mukti as panel discussants.

The speakers revealed that the smoking of cigarette and bidi contains over 4,000 harmful chemical substances and about 57,000 people die of tobacco use every year in the country, while 3.82 lakh become worthless. Apart from this, they informed that smoking is the cause of heart diseases and lung cancer, which also creates problems to breathing.

Smoking and consumption of tobacco enhance risks of tuberculosis by four times and the passive smokers might be affected equally.

Besides, smoking reduces immunity of the body so the smokers must be motivated through creating awareness, they said. To get rid of the problem, they suggested sensitizing the relevant stakeholders about the harm of second hand smocking and importance of smoke-free public-places and transports to protect the women and children from tobacco.

Besides, they added that the authorities of the public places and transports should be influenced for establishing 100 percent smoke-free public- paces and transports.

Stressing the need for proper enforcement of the tobacco control act they mentioned that the enterprises producing tobacco products should print the health warnings on the packed and packages in capital letters clearly.

Councilors of Rajshahi City Corporation Firoja Khatun, Farjana Haque, Anwara Begum, Sufiya Islam and Masuda Mallik, General Secretary of Jatiya Mohila Parishad Kolpna Roy, Divisional Coordinator of Bangladesh Environment Lawyers Association Tonmoy Sanyal and Campaign Officer of Barendra

Unnayan Prochesta Hafiz Uddin took part in the open discussion.

Around 35 women including public representatives, development activists, silk labors, journalists and aboriginal girls attended the meeting discussing ways and means on how to make the society free from smoking.