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BSS-45
TOBACCO-LAW-AMEND
Ban on designated smoking area in restaurants, hotels urged
DHAKA, Feb 3, 2021 (BSS) – Speakers at a webinar yesterday urged
that the government lifts the provisions of keeping designated smoking
area (DSA) in restaurants and hotels to save people from being victim
of second hand smoking.
They also urged the government to amend Tobacco Control Act to make
tourist areas, including restaurants smoke-free.
Aviation and Tourism Journalists Forum of Bangladesh (ATJFB) and
Dhaka Ahsania Mission organized the virtual view exchange meeting
titled ‘Role of media in building a tobacco free Bangladesh 2040’.
Mokhlesur Rahman, assistant director, health sector, Dhaka Ahsania
Mission in his speech said that 63 countries, including Canada, Spain
and Nepal, have laws prohibiting any kind of smoking including keeping
the provision DSA in public places.
“However, according to the law of our country, DSA can be keep in
public places including in train, launch, airport and restaurant,” he
added.
He said Tobacco Control Act should be amended to prohibit smoking in
all types of public places and to ban the use of any type of tobacco,
including smoking.
Iqbal Masood, director of the health and wash sector at the Dhaka
Ahsania Mission, said that since smoke cannot be controlled, hotel and
restaurants needed to be 100 percent smoke-free.
Abdus Salam Mia, grants manager, Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
Bangladesh, said if smoking can be banned in aircraft, then why not
smoking can be banned in other public transports as well.
Sharaf Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury, CEO, Savar Municipality and Sarkar
Shams Bin Sharif, Communications Officer, Campaign for Tobacco Free
Kids Bangladesh, among others, also spoke.
Nadira Kiron, president, ATJFB president over the programme while
Tanzim Anwar, General Secretary, ATJFB conducted the meeting.
BSS/PR/TA/MRU/2106hrs