Dublin: Speaking at World Conference on Tobacco Control (WCTC) 2025 on global tobacco control, Bangladeshi journalist Sushanta k Singha raised a critical issue facing his country: the widespread use of smokeless tobacco and the lack of dedicated resources to combat it.
“In Bangladesh, we have 35 million tobacco users,” Singha stated. “Out of them, 22 million use chewing tobacco or smokeless tobacco—but only two organizations currently receive funding to address this.”
The comment drew strong responses from global health leaders on the panel, who acknowledged the urgent need to tackle smokeless tobacco with the same intensity applied to cigarettes and e-cigarettes.
Dr. Rüdiger Krech, Director of Health Promotion at the World Health Organization, emphasized that the tobacco industry’s product strategy is highly calculated. “They conduct marketing analysis, and they know exactly what will work where,” he said. “Swamping the market with new products is part of a deliberate strategy. We must stay ahead of that wave—and your insights help us do that.”
Kelly Larson, Injury Prevention Lead at Bloomberg Philanthropies, echoed the concern, noting that smokeless tobacco is a key part of the industry’s global playbook. “We see it comprehensively,” she said. “From conventional tobacco to e-cigarettes to smokeless tobacco—the complexity is real. That’s why it’s critical to support local advocates and raise political attention on all products, so strong regulation can follow.”
Larson also stressed the role of journalists in exposing these issues. “We rely on people like you to keep these concerns visible,” she told Sinha. “Without that visibility, these products escape scrutiny.”
Andrew Black, Team Lead at the WHO FCTC Secretariat, added that the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) already mandates governments to regulate all tobacco products, not just cigarettes. “Any product that contains tobacco is covered,” he said. “And to support governments in this, we have a dedicated FCTC Knowledge Hub on Smokeless Tobacco, based in Noida, India. We’d be happy to connect you for more resources and technical support.”
Black closed with a call to action: “Governments must recognize the full scope of the treaty and act accordingly. Smokeless tobacco use, especially in countries like Bangladesh, cannot be left out of our collective response.”
