Tobacco companies apply various tactics and incentivise 'designated smoking area' (DSA) in Dhaka city’s restaurants using loopholes of the Smoking and Tobacco Usage (Control) Act, 2005 (amended in 2013), according to a study.
According to the study revealed on Saturday, existing law prohibits smoking in one-room restaurants but restaurants with more than one room are allowed to keep a Designated Smoking Area (DSA).
Using the loophole in the law, tobacco companies are enticing and inducing restaurant owners to establish DSA and display advertisements for tobacco products,” it said.
The findings were shared at a dissemination programme held in a city hotel.
The study titled ‘Explore tobacco companies’ interference on the smoke-free environment at restaurants in Dhaka city of Bangladesh’ is conducted by Voices for Interactive Choice and Empowerment (VOICE) a research and advocacy organisation with the support of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK) in August-September 2021.
The study was conducted to explore the ill tactics of tobacco companies to allure owners of restaurants in Dhaka city to establish and maintain smoking zone at restaurants.
According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) 2017: 43.9 per cent (38.4 m) of non-smoker adults (15+) were exposed to Secondhand smoke (SHS) at different public places including 49.7 per cent exposed to SHS at restaurants and which is a serious public health threat.
The program was attended by Member of Parliament Ashim Kumar Ukil, Iqbal Masud, Director of Health Sector of Dhaka Ahsania Mission; Syed Mahbubul Alam Tahin, Technical Advisor of The Union; Mostafizur Rahman, lead policy adviser of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK); Abdus Salam Mia of Grants Manager, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK).
This event was presided over by Ahmed Swapan Mahmud, Executive Director of VOICE and Abtab Khan Shawon, Media Manager of VOICE moderated this event.
In the keynote presentation, Zayed Siddiki, project coordinator of VOICE told that the surveyed restaurants were selected from a pre-list from high-end areas (Gulshan, Dhanmondi, Banani, Uttara) that has designated smoking area and tobacco advertising/branded materials displayed.
All the restaurants were found with a sign/logo of British American Tobacco Bangladesh (BATB) displayed in a “colourful decorated box with lighting” (containing empty packets of cigarettes), he said.
73 per cent of the restaurant’s advertisement is displayed at designated smoking areas and 27 per cent of restaurants have advertisements at the entrance/exit and near food service tables, also advertisements were displayed in multiple places.
Tobacco companies offer one-time cash benefits to restaurant owners for displaying these advertising materials and maintaining it. Depending on the location of the restaurant, the average amount is 8,00,000, a maximum of 1/5 million Taka and a minimum of 4,00,000 Taka that include rent, electricity bill and other costs.
The one-time cash incentive is either given through cheque or bank transfer. For advertising, 60 per cent of the restaurants have done written agreement and 40 per cent has an oral agreement with Tobacco Company.
The study also found that restaurant authorities receive different types of gifts at different times from Tobacco Companies such as Staff uniforms, lighters, ashtrays, cooking utensils, coffee mugs, samples of new tobacco products, discounted purchase facilities, plates/ glasses, covid protective materials etc. To ensure that the advertisements were displayed properly in the restaurants, the representatives of the tobacco company visit 40 per cent of the restaurants every 7 days, 26.60 per cent of the restaurants every 10 days and 33.30 per cent of the restaurants every 15 days. The study recommended that to protect non-smokers especially children and women from secondhand smoke (SHS) the government immediately needs to amend existing tobacco control law and ban the provision for designated smoking areas from all types of restaurants and also take 100 per cent smoke-free policies in all other public places to ensure Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s vision for tobacco-free Bangladesh by 2040.
Ashim Kumar Ukil MP said smoking in public transport has been decreased which means awareness is increasing among people. In addition to this, the provision of keeping the designated place for smoking in restaurants should be repealed in existing law. So that non-smokers, especially women and children could be protected from secondhand smoke.
Iqbal Masud, Director of Health Sector, Dhaka Ahsania Mission added, to reduce secondhand smoking we need to make hotel authorities more aware of violations of the law and enlist the help of the administration to make this a success.
Mostafizur Rahman, lead policy adviser of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK) added, the goal of building a tobacco-free Bangladesh by 2040 is being thwarted in various ways by the tobacco companies. Designated smoking areas in restaurants are one of the examples and he demanded the removal of DSA provisions in all public places in our existing law.
Syed Mahbubul Alam Tahin, Technical Advisor, The Union added, tobacco companies are putting young people at risk by providing a designated smoking area in restaurants. We need to take swift action in this regard that tobacco companies alluring the restaurant owners to breach the law provisions and taking advantage of loopholes in existing TC law by pushing the authorities to amend the law and ensure the enforcement.
