Tobacco Consumption among the Garment Workers at Dhaka City in Bangladesh

The readymade garment (RMG) industry is a key sector of Bangladesh economy which alone
contributes 20 percent of the country’s GDP and about 78% of the country’s total merchandize export
earnings. Estimated 4.4 million people, of whom 80 per cent women from underprivileged social
classes are working in this sector. This Ready-made garment sector in Bangladesh provides workers
with economic benefits and some empowerment.
A descriptive cross-sectional study followed by a qualitative approach was utilized. Through
proportionate quota sampling, 560 garments workers were recruited from 6 (one large, two medium,
and three small) garment factories in Mirpur area of Dhaka city.
Almost all of the garments workers knew that both smoking and smokeless tobacco (98.4%) is
harmful for health. Knowledge on specific health hazards of smoking (96.96%) tobacco was relatively
higher than those of smokeless (90%) tobacco. Electronic media (Radio/TV/Cinema) was the most
common source of their knowledge (92.9%). In case of smoking tobacco, cancer (63.6%) was the
mostly reported disease caused by smoking tobacco, followed by lung cancer (15.7%) and heart
attack (11.3%). On the other hand, for smokeless tobacco, cancer (29.8%), followed by oral cancer
(26.6%) and lung cancer (15.0%) was mostly reported diseases by the garments workers. Garment
workers’ knowledge on tobacco control policy was found to be very low. Only 35.0% knew about the
policy. Although few garments workers know about the rules for prohibition of tobacco product in
public place (25.7%) and public transport (11.3%), other specific rules under tobacco control policy
were not known to majority of them.
The present study provides a scientific base regarding current tobacco using practice among
garments workers in Dhaka city and their knowledge and attitude towards tobacco. Finding revealed
from qualitative analysis of data suggested that now-a-days smoking is considered as a trend; people
have to smoke for showing smartness or to maintain social status. Peer influence also plays an
important role for initiating and maintaining smoking status. Socio-cultural influence for smokeless
tobacco consumption was not well documented by this study which indicated a need for more focused
qualitative study.