While the economic activities generated from the production and consumption of tobacco produces huge tax revenues as well as employment opportunities in the tobacco industry, tobacco smoking poses enormous health- and non-health-related threats to the affected individuals, employers, and the society at large.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), tobacco consumption, in any form, kills more than 161,000 people on average every year amounting to around 19 per cent of all deaths in Bangladesh. Evidence released this year shows that smokers were more likely to develop severe disease with COVID-19 compared to non-smokers.
Tobacco users who die prematurely deprive their families of income, do increase the cost of healthcare and hinder economic development. Given the dangers of tobacco, strategic steps should be taken to limit its production and consumption. In this regard, prices of tobacco products should be increased through implementing effective tobacco tax measures in the upcoming national budget.
Prices of tobacco products should be increased
through implementing effective tobacco tax
measures in the upcoming national budget
Experts and anti-tobacco activists opine that the lack of strong and effective law and its weak enforcement are the main obstacles in controlling tobacco consumption in Bangladesh. Therefore, the existing law should be amended in order to save the common people from the adverse impact of tobacco products.
Experts have long been crying hoarse to impose more taxes on the tobacco producing companies to save lives as well as collect more revenue. Increase in tobacco taxes will unarguably be the most effective means of reducing the consumption of tobacco. If its price goes out of people’s purchasing capacity, the consumption will gradually reduce.
It is apprehended that if the existing taxes are revised and imposed properly, the government could earn an additional Tk 10,000 crore in revenue from the sector.
In addition, around six million adult smokers will be encouraged to quit smoking if prices go up, which will reduce premature deaths. Hence, necessary steps should be taken to impose more taxes on the tobacco producing companies. Also, the government should also increase funds for tobacco-related disease prevention programmes to assist people who want to quit smoking.
