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Brief report
Regulating tobacco retail outlets in Bangladesh: retailers’ views and implications for tobacco control advocacy
  1. Sahadat Hossain1,
  2. Afifa Anjum1,
  3. Md Elias Uddin2,
  4. Farzana Rahman3,
  5. HM Miraz Mahmud3,
  6. Md Kapil Ahmed3,
  7. M Shamimul Islam3
  1. 1 Department of Public Health and Informatics, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Bangladesh
  2. 2 Department of English, Dhaka University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
  3. 3 Tobacco Control Program, Bangladesh Center for Communication Programs, Dhaka, Bangladesh
  1. Correspondence to Sahadat Hossain, Department of Public Health and Informatics, Jahangirnagar University, Savar 1342, Bangladesh; sahadathossain.phi.ju{at}gmail.com

Abstract

Background Tobacco products are ubiquitously available in Bangladesh. There are currently no restrictions on who can sell tobacco products and where they are allowed to be sold. The objective of this study was to explore tobacco retailers’ views regarding tobacco retail licensing (TRL) in Bangladesh.

Methods A two-stage cluster sampling procedure was used to collect data from a representative sample of 472 tobacco retailers (97% response rate) in Dhaka city in 2018 through face-to-face interviews using a semistructured questionnaire. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, X2 tests and logistic regression.

Results The majority (79%) of the retailers reported that they would support TRL, and 68% were interested in applying for TRL if adopted. Support for TRL was higher among those with a university degree (OR 2.1, 95% CI 0.8 to 5.3) and among those with knowledge about existing tobacco control regulations (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.1 to 2.8). Furthermore, support for TRL was significantly higher among those who believed that it would restrict tobacco retailing locations (AOR 1.9, 95% CI 1.3 to 3.0) and prevent tobacco sales to minors (AOR 3.5, 95% CI 2.2 to 5.5).

Conclusion This sample of tobacco retailers in Bangladesh supported TRL. TRL advocacy efforts could draw on this support.

  • advocacy
  • prevention
  • public policy
  • end game

https://doi.org/10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2019-055418

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    Footnotes

    • Twitter @sahadathossain.phi.ju@gmail.com

    • Contributors SH was responsible for study concept, implementation, statistical analysis and drafted the manuscript. AA, MEU, FR, HMM, MKA and MSI were responsible for the implementation of the study. MEU also edited the manuscript.

    • Funding This study was supported by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Institute for Global Tobacco Control with funds from the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.