Youth Demand Minimum Retail Price of Cigarettes to be Set at 9 Taka
To discourage smoking among children, adolescents, and young people, youth activists have demanded that in the upcoming fiscal year 2025-26, the lower and mid-tier cigarette categories be merged, setting the minimum retail price of each cigarette stick at 9 Taka. They argue that this price increase would deter young people from smoking, potentially preventing approximately 900,000 premature tobacco-related deaths in the long term. Additionally, the government could generate an additional revenue of 20,000 crore Taka, which is 43% higher than the previous year.
This demand was voiced at a press conference organized by Ahsania Mission Youth Forum for Health and Well-being on Thursday morning (March 20, 2025) at the National Press Club. The event was chaired by Marjana Muntaha, the forum's...