BACKGROUND AND IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES: Cigarettes are currently categorised as an essential commodity along with many daily commodities, including infant and patient's foods and medicines, under the schedule of The Control of Essential Commodities Act, 1956 in Bangladesh. The government provides various support for marketing and distribution of essential commodities, and cigarette companies enjoy these facilities for remote distribution in an emergency. For example, when many consumer products distribution stopped during strict lockdowns due to COVID-19 in 2020-2021, cigarette companies enjoyed easy distribution of cigarettes as an essential commodity. This ensures cigarette availability and contributes to widespread consumption, especially among teens and young adults. The civil societies demanded to remove cigarettes from the list of essential commodities.
INTERVENTION OR RESPONSE: To address these challenges, the Ministry of Commerce (MoC) has organized three comprehensive stakeholder consultations, engaging policymakers, public health experts, trade representatives, and civil society organizations. These consultations aim to build consensus on the necessity of removing cigarettes from the list of essential commodities and to evaluate the anticipated health and economic impacts. The MoC is working to align this intervention with the broader national strategies on tobacco control and health promotion.
RESULTS AND IMPACT: The consultations have garnered significant support from public health experts and civil society, who emphasise that this policy change could reduce cigarette consumption, particularly among teens and young adults. Removing cigarettes from the schedule is expected to pave the way for stricter regulatory control, increased taxation, and reduced accessibility, ultimately contributing to improved public health outcomes.
CONCLUSIONS: Removing cigarettes from the essential commodities list would be a vital step toward reducing tobacco consumption in Bangladesh. While challenges persist, the MoC's proactive stakeholder engagement underscores its commitment to aligning trade policies with public health priorities. This intervention holds promise not only for curbing smoking rates but also for fostering a healthier, tobacco-free future for the nation's youth.