Cheap Cigarettes, Double the Harm

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Bangladesh is confronting a severe public health crisis marked by the highest rate of tobacco use in South Asia, affecting nearly 37.8 million adults and contributing to approximately 200,000 premature deaths annually. This pervasive consumption is largely fueled by a weak tobacco tax structure that ensures the widespread availability and affordability of cigarettes.

The ease of access to tobacco products, particularly the ubiquitous 10 taka cigarette, is a direct consequence of the nation’s current tax policies. This affordability drives Bangladesh’s alarming tobacco consumption rate of 35.3%, making it the highest in the region.

Despite the tobacco sector being projected to generate 41,000 crore taka in government revenue for 2024, the comprehensive cost to the nation’s public health and environment significantly eclipses this economic benefit. Estimates place the total damage at approximately 87,000 crore taka, more than double the revenue collected from the industry.

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This profound financial and human disparity underscores the urgent necessity for robust policy interventions aimed at mitigating the widespread health crisis and its extensive economic repercussions.