World Cancer Day-2013 Law amendment demanded for cancer prevention

Different cancers like oral cavity cancer, lung cancer have occurred for smoking and tobacco consumption. Cancer is a devastating disease worldwide. It is possible to prevent 50% cancer by avoiding tobacco use, unhygienic food items-juice, soft drinks etc. and physical exercise. Tobacco or smoking is mainly responsible for cancer as more than 30% cancers occur for tobacco use or smoking. So, tobacco control law should immediately be amended for NCD prevention.

The call was made from an awareness campaign by WBB Trust on the occasion of World Cancer Day-2013 at 4.00 PM at Dhanmondi Lake in the capital today. The program was led by Gaus Pieree, Director of WBB Trust, and Policy Analyst Syed Mahbubul Alam. Global Cancer Ambassador Aminul Islam Sujon, Maruf Rahman and Syeda Anonna Rahman, National Advocacy Officers of WBB Trust attended in the function.

The theme of the Day this year is Cancer: Do you know? In fact, the theme was set for removing the misconceptions about cancer. It is said that cancer may occur to anyone at any social setting if lifestyle is negative. It is also told that cancer is such a disease which treatment is costly and complex. So, preventive actions are needed. Strict action is needed to control tobacco-drugs, soft drinks, and juice like food items.

In addition, healthy foods like vegetables, fresh fruits, should be allocated sufficiently. People should be allowed to play, walking and cycling.

The participants of the function said tobacco products including bidi-cigarettes contain more than 4000 chemicals including nicotine, DDT, Carbon monoxide, tar, arsenic, methanol, benjopirine, naphthalene, cyanide, ammonia, Occident and 43 of which are responsible for causing cancers. Not only smoking or chewable tobacco but passive smoke is also causing cancers. Tobacco control law is to be urgently amended for cancer prevention.