Dhaka, Feb. 17 -- Global advocacy group We Are Innovation (WAI) has urged the Bangladesh government to reconsider proposed amendments to the Smoking and Tobacco Product Usage Act, warning that a ban on innovative nicotine products (INPs) could be counterproductive.

In an open letter, WAI, a network of over 45 think tanks, foundations, and NGOs dedicated to harnessing innovation's power to address pressing global challenges, outlined strategies that have successfully reduced smoking rates in countries such as Sweden, the UK, and New Zealand.

Drawing on its 2024 Effective Anti-smoking Policies Global Index and Path to Smoke-free platform, WAI argues that integrating INPs into tobacco control could save up to 920,000 lives in Bangladesh. ...