Children should be able to grow up in environments that protect their health and wellbeing. Yet evidence from Bangladesh shows that tobacco companies continue to use aggressive marketing and sales tactics in places where children spend a significant part of their daily lives – near schools.
The Big Tobacco, Tiny Targets Survey (Bangladesh 2025) examines the presence of tobacco products, advertising, and promotional tactics near schools. The study focuses on points of sale located within 100 meters of primary and secondary schools, where children are regularly exposed to tobacco branding and sales.
Field teams visited 666 shops and kiosks surrounding 121 schools across Dhaka and three other divisions to document how tobacco products are marketed and displayed. The findings reveal a troubling pattern of widespread tobacco availability and targeted promotional practices near educational institutions.
The survey found that nearly all shops located close to schools sell cigarettes or other tobacco products, and an overwhelming majority sell single cigarette sticks, making them inexpensive and easily accessible for young people. Tobacco products are frequently displayed at children’s eye level, often placed next to sweets and snacks, and promoted through dummy packs, advertising displays, and promotional offers.
Such practices normalize tobacco use for children and adolescents and increase the likelihood of early experimentation with smoking. The presence of flavored tobacco products and visually appealing promotional materials further strengthens the appeal of these products among youth.
The findings underscore the urgent need for stronger policy enforcement and regulatory measures to protect children from tobacco industry marketing. Public health experts have long warned that exposure to tobacco advertising at a young age significantly increases the risk of lifelong addiction.
The factsheet below summarizes the key findings of the survey and outlines a set of policy recommendations aimed at protecting children from tobacco exposure near schools. These recommendations include banning the sale of tobacco products within 100 meters of schools, prohibiting tobacco advertising and product display at points of sale, banning flavored tobacco products, and eliminating the sale of single cigarette sticks.
Ensuring tobacco-free school environments is an important step toward safeguarding the health of the next generation in Bangladesh.
Read the full factsheet below to explore the findings and recommendations.
