92% tobacco producers don’t comply with GHW rules
Says survey
Over 92 percent tobacco producers do not completely comply with the government rule of picturing Graphical Heath Warning (GHW) in tobacco packets or containers, says a non-government survey.
Such non-compliance of rules acts as a major barrier in achieving the government’s goals of building public awareness against tobacco use, it said.
Six anti-tobacco campaigning organisations conducted the survey in November last year and the findings were revealed at a press conference at the National Press Club today.
The organizations are-- Progga, National Heart Foundation, Association for Community Development (ACD), Dhaka Ahsania Mission, Shimantik and Ipsha.
The survey was conducted at 120 tobacco-selling shops in eight divisional cities in November last year.
The indicators include—Printing of GHW covering at least 50 percent of the packets or containers; printing GHW on both sides of packets or containers; printing only government approved image and message as GHW; updating the GHW image in every three months; following government approved ratio in printing GHW image and warning text and others.
The surveyors found that over 92 percent of tobacco producers partially follow the rules.
19.2 percent tobacco products were found without any GHW on its packets or containers, said Hasan Shariar, an official of Progga, while presenting the survey findings.
The study recommended strict monitoring of government, enforcing laws and conducting mobile court drive to implement the rule.
Government officials and several anti-tobacco campaigners, among others also attended the function.