BACKGROUND AND IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES: Secondhand smoking (SHS) is a major public health concern in Bangladesh. Among adults, 49.7% in restaurants, 44% in public transport and 42.7% in workplaces were exposed to SHS while the law banned smoking in these places. These GATS data indicated gaps with information, education and practices on smokefree provisions of law. Several studies identified that teens are also exposed to SHS in these places.
INTERVENTION OR RESPONSE: Stop Tobacco Bangladesh (STB) social media platform (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube) continue to share posts to aware people about the smokefree provisions of law that banned smoking in public places and transports, as well as obligation to display no smoking signages in those public places. STB also focuses on health hazards of smoking along with SHS and encourage everyone to ensure a smoke-free environment. STB produce 48 images and reels with brief information and call of action to keep their premises smokefree. Several of these posts exposed the tobacco industry’s illegal activities to promote smoking zones in restaurants.
STB also promoted 100% smokefree environment by removing designated smoking zones from public places and encouraging smokefree environment at home to protect non-smokers from exposure to tobacco smoke including infant, children and women.
RESULTS AND IMPACT: STB Facebook page received 28.5 million impressions, directly reached 18.3 million users, viewed by about 11.9 million times, and about 650k users interacted. These posts were also shared on other social media outlets, as well as by tobacco control activists on their own organizations and personal pages.
CONCLUSIONS: To protect non-smokers from exposure to SHS requires rigorous public support and effective enforcement of smokefree provisions of law. For both, social media campaigns would be effective to be aware about law, health hazards of SHS and the role to ensure smokefree environment at their premises.