International Health Experts: Bangladesh Can Be Smoke-Free by 2040 If It Adopts the Swedish Model

DHAKA, Bangladesh–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Prominent global health experts have issued an urgent plea to the legislative body of Bangladesh, strongly urging them to follow the ‘Smoke-Free Sweden’ blueprint. This compelling strategy has the potential to dramatically alter the future for countless smokers, potentially saving millions of lives.

At an recent event in Dhaka hosted by the Asia Harm Reduction Alliance and Voice of Vapers Bangladesh, experts reported that Sweden is on course to drop below a 5% tobacco smoking prevalence rate in the next few months – the level at which a country is considered officially smoke-free.

However Bangladesh is in danger of going in the opposite direction. The inclusion of e-cigarettes in the new Tobacco Control Act could detrimentally impact Bangladesh’s goal of going tobacco-free by 2040.

“Sweden has adopted a groundbreaking strategy when it comes to tobacco harm reduction, it is being followed in countries like the United Kingdom, which now offers free e-cigarettes to those who want to quit smoking. This is an impressive step forward, and it would be a huge service to people to see it being used in as many countries as possible.” said Dr. Delon Human, president of Health Diplomats and former Health Advisor to three Directors-General of the WHO and to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon.

The Swedish model promotes affordable, acceptable and accessible alternatives like snus, nicotine pouches and e-cigarettes, successfully reducing smoking rates by over 150% in 15 years. Sweden now boasts the EU’s fewest tobacco-related illnesses and a 41% lower cancer incidence than its European counterparts.

Dr. Derek Yach, Former WHO Cabinet Director and the person who co-led the development of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) said: “Harm reduction strategies have always been part of the FCTC and tobacco control, but thus far not fully implemented. Bangladesh has the opportunity to translate its economic transformation into accelerating tobacco control through harm reduction. Doing so could prevent about 2 million premature deaths between 2025 and 2060, more than any other public health measure by far!”

“For adult smokers, switching to non-combustible alternatives is highly recommended,” said Dr Kgosi Letlape, president of the Africa Harm Reduction Alliance. “Where governments have allowed these alternatives into their environment, the use of combustibles has come down and health benefits have been derived.”

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The Asia Harm Reduction Alliance (AsHRA) brings together leading harm reduction experts in the medical community. It’s our mission to reduce drug, alcohol and tobacco-related death and disease.

Sweden’s innovative strategy to minimise the harmful effects of tobacco smoking and save lives is detailed in a new report entitled The Swedish Experience: A roadmap for a smoke-free society, which was co-authored by Dr Human and is available here: https://smokefreesweden.org/wp-content/themes/smokefreesweden/assets/pdf/reports/Report%20The%20Swedish%20Experience%20EN.pdf

Contacts

info@asiaharmreductionalliance.net