MANAS has written to all TV channel authorities, urging them to refrain from airing dramas and films during the holy Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations and to comply with the existing tobacco control law. On March 23, the letter signed by the organization’s president, Professor Dr. ArupRatan Choudhury, was sent to the managing directors and program heads of TV channels.
The letter states that smoking, tobacco consumption and drug addiction are currently one of the biggest obstacles to public health development. Especially among teenagers, the trend of smoking and drug addiction is increasing, which is an alarming sign for the family, society and the state! More than 161,000 people die every year in the country due to tobacco-related diseases. There are about 15 million drug addicts in the country who are involved in various crimes in society. In such a situation, it is essential to create awareness in the entertainment media. It is necessary to make efforts to ensure that negative scenes including smoking, drugs, e-cigarettes are not aired in dramas and films. Because, teenagers are influenced by these negative scenes and imitate them. It is worth noting that laws and rules have been formulated in the country to control smoking and drugs. According to Section-5 (e) of the ‘Smoking and Tobacco Use (Control) Act, 2005’, no scenes of tobacco use in any movie, drama or documentary produced in Bangladesh or produced abroad shall be broadcast, displayed or narrated on television, radio, internet, stage show or any other media; it is stated and detailed explanation has been given in the rules.
In this regard, Professor Dr. ArupRatan Choudhury said, MANAS has been monitoring the implementation of the Tobacco Control Law through entertainment and informing the concerned about the violations. MANAS monitored almost all the dramas on two Eid TV channels through two surveys conducted in 2024. The survey results identified violations of tobacco control laws and scenes depicting tobacco use in dramas featuring popular actors. In our country, new dramas, films, and telefilms, which are highly demanded and favored by teenagers, are primarily produced for the two Eid festivals. A class of unscrupulous directors and producers promote scenes of celebrities holding cigarettes and alcohol in dramas and films without permission. Since teenagers are the main audience of dramas and films, tobacco companies also back their deadly products. I urge everyone, including producers, artists, and those associated with the media, to respect state laws to stop the incitement to smoke for the sake of the next generation.
Legal expert and policy analyst Syed Mahbubul Alam said that public health protection is the constitutional responsibility of the government. The government has taken the initiative to formulate laws and rules and create awareness to reduce tobacco-related diseases, premature deaths, and losses in the country. On the other hand, some directors and producers are using popular stars to campaign against the law on cigarettes and e-cigarettes, which is attracting children and teenagers to smoking and drugs. In the national interest, it is necessary for all concerned, including television channels, to come forward to stop these malicious activities that are against state laws and morality.