Tobacco lure

Violating the Narcotics Control Act, 2005, a number of local tobacco companies are offering smokers on the outskirts of the capital and elsewhere in the country "gift items" as incentives to choose their products.
Even though tobacco-product advertisement and offering incentives to tobacco consumers are prohibited under the law, the companies are offering items like cellphones, bicycles, household utensils and free cigarettes in exchange for empty cigarette packs or part of the packs.
According to Clause-4 of the Narcotics Control Act, 2005, "No one is allowed to provide any gift, incentive, scholarship or hold any tournament with the aim to encourage the use of tobacco products."
If anyone violates this law, he or she would be awarded three months' simple imprisonment or fined Tk 1,000, the law reads.
Local tobacco company--Abul Khair Tobacco Company Ltd--is offering such items on the outskirts of Dhaka to attract consumers, mainly people of low-income group.
However, the law is being abided by in the capital.
The company is distributing leaflets among shopkeepers so that they could distribute those among consumers and inform them of special items on offer. The company is running the campaign, titled "Slide Programme", at places including Amin Bazar, Kamrangirchar, Gabtoli, Kamalapur, Tongi, Gazipur, Kapasia in and around the capital and in different areas of Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Sylhet and Bandarban districts to attract consumers to its brand Maries cigarette.
According to the leaflets, if one submits 15 slides, a part of the cigarette pack, to shopkeepers, they will get one melamine bowl or two packs of cigarettes free. He or she will get a free melamine plate for 26 slides, a bucket for 60 slides and a cellphone or a DVD player for 2,600 slides.
The company is also offering household utensils for buying a certain number of packs of its Special Abul Bidi. This programme is run in Noakhali, Chittagong, Bandarban and Sylhet divisions.
At Amin Bazar, Habib Mian, 40, a day labourer, told this correspondent, "I have been smoking four packs of Maries cigarette a day for the last eight months to get the items on offer."
"I already got a dozen of household utensils including melamine plates, bowls, plastic buckets by submitting the slides to nearby shops. These should be enough for my daughter's marriage," he said.
Habib has been suffering from tuberculosis for the last six months.
Azizur Rahman, 38, a grocer of the area, said, "I sell around 20 more packs of Maries Cigarette a day as mostly labourers and small traders attracted by the items demand the cigarette."
He said company representative collect the slides from him and provide the items daily.
Jewel, 25, another grocer of Kamrangirchar, said he gets around 55 slides a day from his customers.
When asked about the incentive programme, Belal Hossain, assistant manager (sales) of Abul Khair Tobacco Company Ltd, Dhaka office, refused to comment.
Sheikh Zakir Hossain, marketing manager, Chittagong office, of the company, admitted the programme exists and gave the excuse that their rival companies are doing the same and they are doing it just to survive in the market.
Talking to The Daily Star Khandaker Shafiqul Alam, officer-in-charge (OC) of Savar Police Station, said this sort of campaign was running beyond his knowledge. He said he would take necessary measures.
Lawyer Shahdin Malik said since the country cannot run an anti-smoking campaign, there is no one to take legal measures against people violating such laws.
Economist Atiur Rahman, referring to the Narcotics Control Act, 2005, said, "It must be revised to make it capable of stopping campaign programmes that promote smoking."
He recommended stronger punishment for the offence and a minimum of 15 percent tax, considering inflation, on tobacco products.
Apart from Abul Khair Tobacco Company Ltd, Azizuddin Tobacco of Jamil Group for its Sahara cigarette, Akiz Corporation Ltd for its Sheikh Full Flavour cigarette, Nasir Tobacco for its Top-10 cigarettes and Bharasa Group for its Siraz and Bharasa Gold cigarettes are allegedly running similar campaigns.