Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain has called for stronger tobacco control laws, saying tobacco is a serious addiction that affects every organ of the human body.
He said existing legal loopholes allow offenders to escape punishment. He stressed that stricter laws are needed to protect society from the harmful impact of tobacco.
Sakhawat Husain made the remarks on Monday morning while speaking as chief guest at a discussion held at the International Mother Language Institute marking World No Tobacco Day.
He said “Smokers themselves are the best witnesses to how harmful tobacco is.”
He noted tobacco disrupts sleep, reduces appetite and body weight, and causes cancers of the cheeks and teeth. Sakhawat Husain also warned that society is now moving from tobacco use towards other severe forms of addiction.
When asked about progress on banning e-cigarettes, the minister told journalists that discussions are ongoing and further details will be reviewed later.
At the event, the minister also issued a strict warning over irregularities in the healthcare sector, saying the government wants to ensure proper healthcare services. He said anyone involved in misconduct or negligence in healthcare will face severe punishment.
Referring to recent action against Ad-Din Medical College, he said the hospital had been shut down due to inhumane services. However, he clarified that the medical college itself was not closed and students would be allowed to complete their practice in other hospitals.
The minister also claimed that the health department has achieved 100 per cent success in measles vaccination coverage in the country.
He said, “The country exceeded its vaccination target. Vaccinations were administered daily through door-to-door mobilisation and loudspeaker campaigns ahead of Eid, and the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) is continuing regularly.”
Regarding the current measles situation, the health minister said the disease will not disappear completely. He noted that reported cases rose from around 700 to 1,000 within a day. He also said that mild fever cases are sometimes mistaken for measles.
Sakhawat Husain added that there were no deaths from measles in the past week, although isolated deaths still occur. He said antibodies from vaccines take about one month to develop after vaccination.
The minister further said the situation could have become worse if doctors, nurses, equipment and vaccines had not been ensured on time.
Health Secretary Md Kamruzzaman Chowdhury and Directorate General of Health Services Director General Professor Dr Prabhat Chandra Biswas were also present at the discussion.
