Global advocacy group ‘We Are Innovation’ (WAI) has urged the government to reconsider proposed amendments to the Smoking and Tobacco Product Usage Act, warning that a ban on Innovative Nicotine Products (INPs) could be counterproductive.
In an open letter, the WAI outlined strategies that had successfully reduced smoking rates in countries such as Sweden, the UK, and New Zealand, said a press release.
Drawing on its 2024 Effective Anti-smoking Policies Global Index and Path to Smoke-free platform, the advocacy group argued that integrating the INPs into tobacco control could save up to 920,000 lives in Bangladesh.
It warned that the prohibition could fuel black markets and undermine harm reduction efforts.
Sweden’s 5.3 per cent smoking rate — the lowest in Europe — demonstrated the effectiveness of a regulatory approach that combined anti-smoking measures with access to alternatives such as vapes, nicotine pouches, and heated tobacco products, the letter stated.
The letter cited global success stories, including Czechia’s seven per cent smoking reduction since 2020 due to lower taxes on vaping, Greece’s six per cent decline aided by the transparent risk communication, Japan’s 52 per cent drop in cigarette sales following heated tobacco regulation, and New Zealand’s decline from 16.4 per cent in 2011 to 6.8 per cent in 2023 through vaping promotion.
The WAI urged for a regulatory framework that would maintain strict controls on cigarettes, while allowing regulated INPs, ensuring product quality and safety, implementing youth protections without restricting adult access, adopting risk-based taxation to encourage switching to less harmful alternatives, providing transparent consumer information, and fostering innovation in harm reduction.
