Journal Article Details

The Government of Bangladesh amended the 'Smoking and Use of Tobacco (Control) Product Act 2005' in 2013 with the highest priority on public health. According to section 10 of the amended Act, it is mandatory to print health warnings in colour pictures and texts on the harm caused by the use of tobacco products on both sides of packets, wrappers, cartons or counters covering at least fifty percent of the surface area of the main display floor of all tobacco products. However, due to the intervention of tobacco companies, the rules of the law were passed in 2015 after almost two years. According to these rules, it is mandatory to provide pictorial health warnings on the packaging of all tobacco products from March 19, 2016.

Graphical Health Warning make people aware of the health hazards of tobacco use by conveying the message to tobacco users. Also those who cannot read can easily understand the dangers of tobacco. Pictorial health warnings have proven beneficial in many countries around the world. As a result, tobacco companies are reluctant to issue these warnings and, through a lawsuit, provide the pictorial health warning below instead of above.

Graphical Health Warning is one of the most effective methods of tobacco control. Therefore, to monitor whether graphical health warning on the packaging of tobacco products in Bangladesh are being given correctly or not, the Tobacco Control and Research Cell (TCRC) has been conducting observational research regularly by collecting data from all the districts of the country and highlighting the overall situation by publishing it every three months.