Hit-not-burn or e-cigarettes are a new weapon to get the young generation addicted, which is a serious threat to this generation. Therefore, it is necessary to ban e-cigarettes right away to protect the country’s young society, said by the members of the e-Commerce Association of Bangladesh (e-CAB).
The speakers said these things in a discussion meeting organized by Dhaka Ahsania Mission, Health Sector at e-CAB office in Banani of the capital today.
The Keynote is presented by Shariful Islam, Coordinator of the tobacco control project, Dhaka Ahsania Mission. It said that all emerging tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, have been identified by the World Health Organization as products of deadly harm to health. Even, e-cigarettes have been cited as a gateway to using tobacco products.
At that time, Sahab Uddin Shipon, Vice President of e-CAB, said that tobacco companies always use various ill tactics to harm the public health of the country. Currently, they have started importing and promoting e-cigarettes in the country and encouraging the youth to get addicted to this drug. Strict measures should be taken to ban e-cigarettes. This law should be passed quickly.
E-cigarettes cannot be a way to quit smoking. Rather, it is the beginning of a new addiction. E-cigarettes are clearly a drug that is spreading rapidly in the country. Therefore, the import of e-cigarettes should be banned, said e-CAB Executive Director Jahangir Alam Shovon.
Barrister Mahfujur Rahman Milan said in his speech that tobacco companies are trying to attract young people by disobeying the Tobacco Control Act by promoting flashy advertisements of e-cigarettes on YouTube, Facebook, websites, and other social media. It is also encouraging people who want to quit smoking to use e-cigarettes instead of traditional cigarettes. To stop the spread of e-cigarettes, strict legislation and strict enforcement of existing laws are necessary now.
The spread of e-cigarettes must be stopped before new generations become addicted to them. Besides, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Programs Manager of Bangladesh, Abdus Salam Miah said that after determining how e-cigarettes are being imported, initiatives should be taken to stop the import.
e-CAB member Huraira Shishir, Dhaka Ahsania Mission, Health Sector Deputy Director Mukhelesur Rahman, and Nutritionist Israt Jahan among others attended that seminar.
