Tobacco on Trial - A BBC radio series - Bangladesh/West Bengal/Middle East

Tobacco on Trial aired for 10 minutes in an 8 week series. Although the programme had a wide appeal, it was targeted at young urban and rural tobacco users. After the 5th episode, the programme ran a contest with a question for each consecutive episode to encourage listeners to tune in to the whole series. At the end of the series 3 winners were chosen; one each from Bangladesh, India and the Middle East. A specially designed website accompanied the radio series providing health information, background data, a People's Poll and an interactive debate on the pros and cons of smoking.

Tobacco, Health, Youth, Women, Agriculture, Economic Development

A recent WHO report revealed that of the 20 million Bangladeshi who are addicted to smoking, 15% of those are women. The radio series hoped to educate people on the dangerous and addictive nature of tobacco including the various chewing tobaccos (not often linked with smoking as a habit). Economic dependance on tobacco as an industry was a key issue in the Tobacco on Trial production. The question was raised as to how the economy would be affected should strict control on tobacco be introduced, especially some rural parts of Bangladesh and West Bengal who depend solely on the Bidi trade. Producer Nazes Afroz visited India and Bangladesh to speak directly with industry officials. "He was able to talk to the tobacco industry in Bangladesh but the Indian Tobacco Company refused to be interviewed". Nazes' programmes included the biri making areas in Bangladesh and also 'zarda', the type of tobacco chewed predominantly by women in West Bengal. The affects of tobacco advertising on youth was another issue discussed in one of the programmes.