Probir Chandra Das :
Every morning on my way to work or during an evening visit to the bustling markets of Dhaka, I am met with an invisible threat-clouds of someone else’s cigarette smoke. As a non-smoker, I never signed up for this. Yet, I find myself inhaling toxic fumes that invade public spaces, sidewalks, and even packed bus stops.
This daily exposure not only disgusts me but frequently makes me assaulted and frustrated. Unfortunately, this is not just my experience-millions of non-smokers in Bangladesh and across the globe are forced to breathe secondhand smoke.
According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) Bangladesh 2017, while overall tobacco use dropped from 43.3?% in 2009 to 35.3?% in 2017, exposure to secondhand smoke remains dangerously high-39?% of adults in homes, 42.7?% in indoor workplaces, and 44?% in public transportation.
Nearly half of restaurant-goers – 49.7?% – also inhale unhealthy air from smoking. In Dhaka, homes and public spaces are particularly unsafe: a 2024 study found 92?% of children aged 9-14 show biomarkers in their saliva indicating exposure to secondhand smoke. Clearly, outdoor smoking isn’t harmless.
It’s easy to dismiss a puff on the street as low risk, but research tells a different story. Secondhand smoke (SHS) contains over 7,000 chemicals-hundreds are toxic and about 70 are classified carcinogenic. Exposure causes respiratory infections, asthma attacks, heart disease, stroke, and even lung cancer among non-smokers.
For sensitive individuals like me, it triggers immediate symptoms-burning eyes, headaches, dizziness, and nausea. The WHO reports that over 1.3? million deaths worldwide each year are caused by passive smoking.
The social toll is staggering. Tobacco-related illnesses kill approximately 161,000 Bangladeshis annually, equivalent to 13-14? % of all deaths, including nearly 25,000 caused solely by secondhand smoke.
Among children, about 61,000 suffer illnesses specifically from secondhand exposure. This burden extends far beyond individual smokers: non-smokers-including pregnant women, children, the elderly-bear the costs of medical treatment, lost workdays, and premature deaths.
Economically, the consequences hit the nation hard. A comprehensive 2018 study estimated the total cost of tobacco-related health issues in Bangladesh at BDT?305.6? billion (USD?3.6? billion), or 1.4? % of GDP, with BDT?221.7? billion lost in productivity alone.
According to the Bangladesh Cancer Society, the annual economic burden is around Tk?30,560? crore, far exceeding the Tk?22,810? crore the government collects in tobacco tax revenue. The result?A net financial loss for the country.
The environmental impact adds another layer of harm. Discarded cigarette butts-made of non-biodegradable cellulose acetate-litter roads, drains, parks, and markets, taking up to 10 years to decompose. They leach toxic substances into waterways, harming aquatic life and entering our food chain.
Despite the Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) Act of 2005 and its amendment in 2013, enforcement remains weak. Bus terminals, marketplaces, footpaths, hospital entrances, and parks all lack meaningful no-smoking oversight. Many believe public outdoor smoking is harmless, yet the data tell a different story.
The normalization of smoking in public emboldens youth – GATS notes 6.9?% of youth aged?13-15 use tobacco, with 9.2?% of boys smoking. Observations on social media mirror this: as one Dhaka resident wrote, “I go to office early in the morning… wearing a mask isn’t effective… if you don’t smoke… you inhale nicotine passively.”
Women, children, and the elderly are especially vulnerable.
A 2024 report found 92?% of children in Dhaka have biochemical evidence of passive smoking, and women-who spend more time in childcare and markets-often face exposure disproportionately. Moreover, mothers exposed during pregnancy risk low birth weights and developmental issues in babies.
To truly protect non-smokers, Bangladesh must extend and enforce smoking bans to include sidewalks, bus stops, public markets, parks, footpaths, and entrances to schools, hospitals, and workplaces.
Changing the law alone isn’t enough. A massive cultural shift is essential. The government should invest in awareness campaigns – like those used for helmet laws or hygiene – to educate the public about the real risks of open-air smoking. Schools must be part of the effort, and community leaders should speak out. Enforcement must be backed by visible fines and policing and designated smoking zones created so smokers don’t pollute shared air.
I write this not just out of discomfort, but because every human deserves clean air. My health – or yours – shouldn’t be compromised because someone decided to light a cigarette. We must stop treating smoking as mere “personal choice” when it so clearly endangers everyone around us.
The pervasive nature of open-air smoking in Bangladesh, as experienced by countless non-smokers daily, is not merely an inconvenience; it is a serious public health concern with far-reaching consequences – damaging our lungs, polluting environment, and draining our economy.
In a crowded city like Dhaka, the harm is acute and widespread. We must unite – citizens, policymakers, health professionals, educators-to demand cleaner streets, stronger enforcement, and social respect for the right to breathe clean air. The message to society and young people must be unequivocal: a smoke-free future is not just an aspiration but a necessity for the health of our citizens, the sustainability of our environment, and the prosperity of our nation. It is time to clear the air, quite literally, and reclaim our public spaces for the benefit of all.
(The writer works as Senior Assistant Director at the Strategic Planning and Quality Assurance (SPQA) Division, University Grants Commission of Bangladesh-UGC).
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