PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress), a tobacco control advocacy group, has called for urgent measures to curb e‑cigarettes, vaping and other emerging tobacco products (ETPs) to protect Bangladesh’s youth from nicotine addiction.
The call came on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day, to be observed Sunday (31 May).
This year’s global theme is “Unmasking the appeal – Countering Nicotine and Tobacco Addiction”. In Bangladesh, the observance will be held under the title “Prolobhoner Mukhosh Unmachan Kori, Tamak O Nicotiner Asokti Protirodh Kori”.
Although Parliament recently passed the Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) (Amendment) Act, 2026, the law excluded bans on e‑cigarettes, vaping devices, nicotine pouches and other ETPs.
PROGGA warned that this gap could trigger a new wave of addiction among young people, as tobacco companies aggressively market these products as “safe alternatives” and “less harmful.”
According to official data, 37.8 million adults aged 15 and above in Bangladesh regularly use tobacco. Tobacco‑related diseases claim nearly 200,000 lives annually.
In 2024, tobacco use and production inflicted losses of nearly Tk87,000 crore on the economy, more than double the revenue generated from the sector.
ABM Zubair, executive director of PROGGA, said, “To safeguard the youth from the trap of tobacco and nicotine addiction, we must take rapid and impactful policy action against e‑cigarette, vaping and other emerging tobacco products.”
The group stressed that to build a tobacco‑free generation, the government must swiftly implement the amended law, adopt policies to counter industry interference, and raise prices and taxes on tobacco products in the upcoming national budget to make them unaffordable for youth.
