‘Strengthen tobacco control laws to reduce its consumption’

Hyderabad: Doctors, public health groups and cancer victims urged the government to strengthen the tobacco control laws to reduce the consumption of tobacco and prevalence of cancer cases considering recommendation of 139th report of Parliamentary Standing Committee of Health and Family Welfare. Tobacco is the leading cause of cancer cases. The use of tobacco is […]

Hyderabad: Doctors, public health groups and cancer victims urged the government to strengthen the tobacco control laws to reduce the consumption of tobacco and prevalence of cancer cases considering recommendation of 139th report of Parliamentary Standing Committee of Health and Family Welfare.

Tobacco is the leading cause of cancer cases. The use of tobacco is a prominent risk factor for 6 to 8 leading causes of death and that almost 40 per cent of the Non Communicable Diseases (NCD) including cancers, cardio-vascular diseases and lung disorders are directly attributable to tobacco use, a press release issued by the Voluntary Health Association of India, said.

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The Committee believes to achieve the SDG target, effective measures were needed to contain the sale of tobacco products and recommended the government to abolish designated smoking areas in airports, hotels, and restaurants and encourage a smoke free policy in organizations. It further recommended prohibiting single stick sales of cigarettes and lay stringent penalties and fines on offenders.

Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi Professor & surgeon, department of head & neck surgery, Tata Memorial Centre, said, “Increasing the minimum legal age for sale of tobacco products from 18 years to 21 years and banning smoking area/point of sale advertisements by amending COTPA 2003, is crucial to protect youth from tobacco as it has the potential to reduce tobacco use initiation and progression to regular smoking’”.

Bhavna B Mukhopadhyay, Chief Executive, Voluntary Health Association of India, added, “the unrestricted and attractive advertisement of tobacco products attracts innocent minds, who are not aware of adverse consequences of consuming these addictive products.”