No smoking

Photo: Tanvir Ahmed / driknews

Canada has been successful in reducing the smoking rate to about 18 percent by using some strategies. They banned smoking in public places and it is illegal to sell tobacco products to minors there. These laws are enforced strictly. In an effort to get cooperation from cigarette retailers, the government enforcement agencies helped them make changes to the way they displayed the products. However, a single strategy may not work here. There has to be a concerted effort to enforce legislation and educate the public.
In Canada, education on smoking is a part of all curriculums, from kindergarten to high school, because the government believes in protecting the public through education rather than controlling them. I think Bangladesh should follow suit.