Compliance level of placing graphic health warning (GHW) in packets of Bidi and smokeless tobacco (SLT) is low in Bangladesh; though there exists a relevant law, which was enforced in March 2016.
The GHW is not placed in the appropriate place in more than 90 per cent of the bidi packets, a study found.
Apart, same is the case with approximately 42 per cent of containers of gul, a form of SLT. More than 85 per cent containers of zarda products are also found not having any proper images and texts.
According to 'The Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (control) Rule, 2015, the GHW must cover at least 50 per cent of the main display area of the packets, containers and cartons of all forms of tobacco products.
A study on 'Graphic health warning on tobacco packets and containers: compliance status in Bangladesh' reveled the statistics recently.
The study was funded by PROGGA Knowledge for Progress and Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids (CTFK).
The survey was conducted in April 2016 (immediately after the law came into effect) and eight months later in November 2016 in eight divisional cities of the country.
It investigated a range of measures, including the images and texts of the GHW, their ratio and colour use and prescribed rotation.
However, the study found significant improvement in inclusion of the GHW in tobacco packets in the eight months period, from April 2016 to November 2016, after the law was enforced.
Warning labels of 3,312 tobacco items were assessed in April 2016. Of the packets of tobacco products, some 75 per cent were found not having the GHWs.
However, in November 2016, it found the noncompliance reduced to 19 per cent but the GHWs were not placed in line with the prescribed way.
The study found compliance was highest in cigarette packets and lowest in smokeless tobacco products.
It also found low level of awareness among the tobacco retailers about the range of the GHW requirements.
"Effective implementation of the GHW labels in low-income and middle-income countries requires awareness-raising among key stakeholders, combined with focused monitoring and compliance strategies," the study paper said.
GHW is recommended by the World Health Organisation's (WHOs) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).
It is a population-level intervention that warns tobacco users against health risks through texts and images on the covers of tobacco packets and containers.
The study said SLT and bidi sectors are fragmented and poorly organised. Small entrepreneurs open and operate the factories.
