Treating tobacco-related diseases cost higher than collected taxes: Dr Abdullah

Prime Minister's personal physician Prof Dr A B M Abdullah said treatment costs for tobacco-inducted diseases are much higher than collected taxes. 

"Tobacco products possess nearly 7,000 chemicals in which seven to eight chemicals are directly responsible for causing cancer," he told a seminar here, a press release said. 

National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute organized the seminar titled "Participation of physicians in controlling tobacco consumption: Success and doing in future."  
    
Dr Abdullah said cigarette addiction among the younger generation has increased drastically as they can buy single stick of cigarette meaning tobacco companies are doing huge business depending on young people. 

They (tobacco companies) are attracting young generation through developing innovative ideas to expand their tobacco market. 

The renowned physicians laid emphasis on amendment of the tobacco control law to discourage the young population for smoking cigarette.

 Secretary General of Bangladesh Medical Association Dr Ehestamul Haque and anti-tobacco campaigners, among others, addressed the seminar with President of National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute Prof Khadkar Awal Abdul Awal in the chair. 

Other speakers laid emphasis on strengthening tobacco control law to discourage people from consuming tobacco and tobacco products. 

There is no alternative to stronger anti-tobacco law, they said adding a stronger tobacco control law is a must to reduce the death toll caused by tobacco.