Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) has recently taken an initiative to formulate standards for nicotine pouches, which are harmful to public health, according to research and advocacy organisation Pragya (Knowledge for Progress) and Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA).
The organisations said the initiative was being taken through the formation of a Tobacco and Tobacco Product Technical Committee, where the government’s National Tobacco Control Cell (NTCC) and representatives of anti-tobacco organisations were not included.
They said tobacco companies were included in the committee, which violates Article 5.3 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) formulated by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
In a press release sent by the two organisations on Monday (21 July), they demanded a ban on the product.
They said nicotine pouches were highly risky for public health. Although tobacco companies claim that nicotine pouches are “comparatively less harmful”, the WHO has clearly warned that although these products do not contain tobacco leaves, they contain high levels of nicotine, which causes severe addiction and increases health risks including disruption of brain development among children and adolescents and heart disease.
According to the organisation’s information, adolescents and young people are becoming the largest consumers of these products globally.
The organisations said at least 16 countries, including Singapore, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Russia, have already completely banned nicotine pouches to protect public health and prevent addiction among young people.
In a reaction, Pragya Executive Director ABM Zubair said, “Although the Ministry of Health proposed banning it, it was not considered in the amended Tobacco Control Act. Now, the process of marketing the product is underway. Like other countries, nicotine pouches must be banned in Bangladesh.”
The organisations said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has already announced, “The government is committed to protecting future generations, including children and adolescents, from the harmful effects of tobacco and nicotine.”
Pragya and ATMA believe that the initiative by a government institution to formulate national standards for nicotine pouches is directly contrary to the prime minister’s announcement.
