Bangladesh's Smoking and Using of Tobacco Product (Control) (Amendment) Act 2012 draft expands coverage of smokefree areas to include restaurants, workplaces and all other public places and transport. The draft law also requires graphic health warnings to cover 50 percent of tobacco packaging.
Additionally, the amendment includes a provision to imprison or fine those responsible for displaying tobacco control advertising, makes the owners of restaurants and businesses culpable for breaches to the smokefree law, doubles the fine applied to those using tobacco in smokefree public areas, and empowers local health and government officers to impose penalties on law-breakers. Smokeless tobacco products, such as zarda, sada pata and gul, have also been identified as tobacco products under the amendment.
The Union understands that some amendments may have been made to the draft law during the cabinet meeting. Details of these will become available over the next few days. The Union will continue to work with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the National Tobacco Control Cell and WBB Trust to ensure that the law is tabled for debate and passed as soon as possible.