Tobacco-related diseases are currently responsible for 10% of adult deaths worldwide. Every six seconds a life is lost due to tobacco use. In 2009, Forty three percent of adults were using tobacco in some form or other in Bangladesh. About a half of these users will eventually die of tobacco-related illnesses. These deaths can be prevented. On 31 May every year, the World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners observe "World No Tobacco Day", highlighting the health risks associated with tobacco use and advocating for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption.
For World No Tobacco Day 2016, WHO and the Secretariat of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) are calling countries to get ready for plain packaging of tobacco products. Plain packaging refers to measures that restrict or prohibit the use of logos, colours, brand images or promotional information on packaging. Only brand names and product names can be displayed in a standard colour and font.
Plain packaging is an important demand reduction measure that reduces the attractiveness of tobacco products, limits misleading packaging, restricts the use of tobacco packaging as a form of tobacco promotion and increases the effectiveness of health warnings. Guidelines to Articles 11 and 13 of the WHO FCTC recommend that parties consider adopting plain packaging.
I congratulate the Government of Bangladesh for introducing graphic health warnings on packs of tobacco products from March 2016. I hope that Bangladesh will be a pioneer of plain packaging in South East Asia.