“Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) – 2017” data (factsheet) was released on 14^th August by Honourable Minister of Health Mr. Mohammad Nasim, MP at the conference room of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in the presence of various news & TV channel reporters. In this dissemination program, Mr. Zahid Malik MP, Honorable State Minister for MoHFW spoke as special guest and Mr. Md. Serajul Huq Khan, Secretary, Health Services Division, MoHFW chaired in this event. Mr. Mozaffar Hossain Paltu, eminent politician and President of National Anti-Tuberculosis Association of Bangladesh (NATAB), Mr. Md. Habibur Rahman Khan, Additional Secretary (world health & public health), Md. Khairul Alam Shiekh, Joint Secretary and Coordinator, NTCC, Dr. Kelly Henning, Director of Public Health Programme, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Professor Dr. Arup Ratan Chowdhury, President of MANAS, Professor Dr. M Mostafa Zaman, Adviser, Research and Publication Unit of WHO Bangladesh, Dr Gan Quan, Director, The Union and Ms Vandana Shah Agarwal, Director, South Asia Programs, Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids and many other respected delegate from different International & National NGOs were also present.

According to the survey, tobacco users in Bangladesh have dropped significantly in the last eight years from 43.3% in 2009 to 35.3% in 2017. Consumption among men dropped significantly to 46% from 58% while for women only 25.2% from 28.7%. 39% of the populations were exposed to second-hand smoke in their homes in 2017, down from 54.9% in 2009. In case of workplaces, it dropped to 42.7% from 63% while on public transports 23.4% from 37.3%.

GATS use global standardized methodology and include information on respondents’ background, tobacco use, cessation, second-hand smoke, economics, knowledge, attitudes and perceptions towards tobacco use. In Bangladesh, the BBS said they used a multi-stage, geographically clustered sample design to produce nationally representative data. For that, they reached 14,880 households.

The Survey was implemented by Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) under supervision of National Tobacco Control Cell. Technical support was provided by WHO and CDC, USA upon request from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Financial support for the Survey was provided by the Bloomberg Initiative to reduce tobacco use through CDC Foundation, USA.