Nearly 40m adults use tobacco in Bangladesh, prevalence rate 2nd highest in South Asia: WHO

In Bangladesh, 39.29 million adults, constituting 17.6% of the population aged 15 years and older, use tobacco, with the prevalence rate being the second-highest in South Asia after the Maldives, according to the latest estimates in the World Health Organization (WHO).

Bhutan has the lowest prevalence rate in the region with 6.4% followed by India, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. While the tourist hub, the Maldives has the highest tobacco use prevalence rate followed by Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal.  

On a positive note, the rate for Bangladesh is estimated below the global average of 20.9% tobacco use prevalence rate. The WHO also expects the prevalence of tobacco usage in Bangladesh to decline to 14.2% in 2030 from a staggering 30.4% in 2000. 

The 2022 estimates revealed on Tuesday in the report titled "WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000–2030" showed a continued decline in tobacco use rates globally, with about 1 in 5 adults worldwide consuming tobacco compared to 1 in 3 in 2000.

Globally there are 1.25 billion adult tobacco users. The report shows that 150 countries are successfully reducing tobacco use with Bangladesh being one of the countries that has decreased tobacco consumption. 

"Prevalence" is defined as the proportion of the population of interest who report that they use the product. "Current use" of a product is defined as using the product at the time of the survey on a daily or non-daily basis.

In Bangladesh prevalence of tobacco usage among male adults is 34.7% higher than the global average of 34.4% while adult females' usage of tobacco is much lower at 0.5% whereas the global average is 7.4%.

Meanwhile, in terms of cigarette smoking rate, Bangladesh's rate of 13.6% is third in South Asia only behind Maldives and Nepal. Bhutan with 4.5% has the lowest rate in this aspect also followed by India and Sri Lanka. The global prevalence rate of cigarette smoking is 15%. 

Currently, the WHO Southeast Asian Region has the highest percentage of the population using tobacco at 26.5% with the European Region not far behind at 25.3%. 

The report shows that by 2030 the WHO European Region is projected to have the highest rates globally with a prevalence of just over 23%. Tobacco use rates among women in WHO's European region are more than double the global average and are reducing much slower than in all other regions.

An example in India of tobacco use reduction

India has displayed unwavering determination in actively reducing tobacco use, targeting a prevalence drop to 4.5% by 2030 from 27.6% in 2000. 

As a WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) signatory, it banned E-cigarettes in 2019 and regulated OTT Platforms for youth protection. Government initiatives include 85% pictorial health warnings and gutka (betel quid) prohibition.

Whereas in the report "Tobacco Industry Interference Index: 2023" by the Global Center for Good Governance in Tobacco Control and STOP, a global tobacco industry watchdog, it was stated that Bangladesh made no progress in countering interference of the tobacco industry and implementation of FCTC Article 5.3 having the worst scores in South Asia.