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First Ever National Tobacco Control Mass Media Campaign Launches in Bangladesh

Note: World Lung Foundation united with The Union North America. From January 2016, the combined organization is known as “Vital Strategies.”

(Dhaka, Bangladesh and New York, USA) – World No Tobacco Day marks the launch of the first national tobacco control mass media campaign in Bangladesh. The campaign, developed by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare with support from World Lung Foundation, Bangladesh Center for Communication Programs (www.bangladesh-ccp.org) and other organizations, graphically depicts the amount of tar that collects inside an average smoker’s lungs. The nationwide campaign, called ‘Sponge,’ will air on all major TV and radio channels throughout June.

‘Sponge,’ which was tested rigorously among focus groups across Bangladesh, has already aired in Australia, China, India, Mauritius, Russia, Ukraine and several other countries. The Bangladeshi version aims to inform millions of bidi and cigarette smokers in the country about the serious impact tobacco has on their health, and to motivate them to quit before they become sick.

Mr Azam-E-Sadat, The Program Manager of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, said: “Our government is committed to reducing the toll tobacco takes on health in Bangladesh. This campaign uses a scientific approach to deliver a clear message about the personal dangers of smoking. It is most fitting that we launch this powerful campaign message on World No Tobacco Day.”

“Millions of Bangladeshis are misinformed about the health impact of tobacco use and ‘Sponge’ will help us address this problem,” Mr Iqbal Kabir, from the National Tobacco Control Cell said. “The campaign clearly depicts the poison in tobacco and what it physically does to human lungs. This is important for both smokers and those exposed to second-hand smoke.”

Sandra Mullin, Senior Vice President, Policy and Communications, World Lung Foundation said, “People who smoke may know it is bad for their health but they often don’t know how bad. Blunt, graphic warnings explain the serious sickness tobacco causes much more vividly. We are honored to be in partnership with the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare as we send this message across Bangladesh.”

Research has shown that mass media campaigns are one of the most effective means to encourage people to stop smoking. It is one of the World Health Organization’s M-P-O-W-E-R (W=Warn) strategies to reduce tobacco consumption. M-P-O-W-E-R strategies are endorsed and promoted by the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use, of which World Lung Foundation is a principal partner.

About Tobacco Use in Bangladesh
Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of mortality in the world today, and is responsible for more than five million deaths each year – one in ten adults worldwide. In Bangladesh, Approximately 43% of all adults (aged 15+) use some form of tobacco (male 58%; female 29%). (1) About 45% of males and 1.5% of females smoke.(2) Bidis– hand rolled leaf cigarettes, which also contain many toxic poisons—are most popular among the poor in Bangladesh and account for 75% by volume of the cigarettes sold. (3) The indirect costs of tobacco to the country is estimated at $652.86 million USD (loss of income from death or disability due to tobacco related illnesses).(4) Additionally, 30% of deforestation in Bangladesh is related to tobacco manufacturing. (5)

The ‘Sponge’ TV and radio public service announcements are available upon request.

(1)(2) Global adult tobacco survey (GATS): Bangladesh. World Health Organization; 2009. Available from: https://www.searo.who.int/LinkFiles/Regional_Tobacco_Surveillance_System_GATSBAN_FullReport2009.pdf.

(3) Ali Z., Rahman A., Rahman T. Appetite for nicotine: an economic analysis of tobacco control in Bangladesh. Economics of Tobacco Control Paper no. 16. Washington, DC: World Bank; 2003. 6. Mackay J, Eriksen M, Shafey O. The Tobacco Atlas. 2nd ed. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2006. 7-9. World Health Organization (4)Shafey O, Eriksen M, Ross H, Mackay J. The Tobacco Atlas, 3rd Ed. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2009.
(5) John S, Vaite S.Tobacco and poverty observations from India and Bangladesh. Efroymson D, editor. Canada: PATH Canada; 2002.