Medical college students have demanded that the price of each cigarette stick be set at a minimum of Tk 9 to make it unaffordable for children, adolescents, and young people.

Medical students from various colleges across the country stated that if their demand is implemented, it will not only reduce smoking but also generate 43 percent more revenue compared to the last fiscal year.

The demand was raised at a workshop titled "Young Physicians Leading the Fight Against Tobacco: Safeguarding Public", organised by the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh today, said a press release.

Representatives from the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh highlighted that tobacco products remain cheap compared to essential commodities in Bangladesh.

As a result, children, adolescents, and young people can easily become addicted to this harmful substance. To address this, effective taxation and price hikes on tobacco products are necessary.

The workshop further emphasised that the current four-tier cigarette pricing system (low, medium, high, and premium) is ineffective in implementing tobacco tax and price measures properly.

To counter this, young doctors proposed merging the low and medium tiers in the upcoming 2025-26 fiscal year budget and setting the retail price of a 10-stick cigarette pack at Tk 90.

They argued that this measure would discourage young people from smoking. Additionally, they urged that the minimum price of a bidi stick be raised to Tk 1.

If implemented, this proposal could not only reduce smoking but also generate an additional Tk 20,000 crore in revenue, the doctors said.

This proposal could also potentially prevent the premature deaths of over 1.7 million people, including approximately 900,000 young individuals, in the long run, they added.