Health ministry urges smoke-free election campaign venues, polling centres

The health ministry today wrote to the Election Commission, seeking to declare all election campaign venues and polling centres smoke-free during the upcoming national election scheduled for February 12.

The ministry also called for strict enforcement of the anti-tobacco law, which prohibits smoking and the use of tobacco products in public places and public transport.

Health Adviser Nurjahan Begum wrote to Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin in this regard today, health ministry sources confirmed to The Daily Star.

In the letter, the adviser said smoking and the use of tobacco products pose a serious threat to public health and are among the leading causes of preventable deaths and non-communicable diseases.

To protect public health, the government has strengthened the existing Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) Act by approving a new ordinance.

The ordinance states that smoking and the use of tobacco products are completely prohibited in public places and public transport.

It also defines a “public place” as any place used by the general public, which is applicable to election campaign venues and polling centres during elections.

Political parties and candidates are currently conducting election campaigns across the country, and on polling day, a large number of voters and officials will be present at polling centres.

In this context, protecting election campaign venues and polling centres from the harmful effects of smoking and tobacco use is crucial to ensuring public health and a safe electoral environment, reads the letter.