Victims call for tobacco ban
JAIPUR: Use tobacco is not at all safe in any manner as it causes cancer, asthma, heart diseases, tuberculosis and other fatal diseases and even causes impotency
KALI CHARAN SARAF , minister
Tobacco victims, suffering from oral cancer, appealed to health minister Kali Charan Saraf on Monday to ban tobacco in Rajasthan, so that people will be saved from their fate.
“Due to tobacco use, I developed oral cancer and my tongue has been removed,” said cancer patient Deep Chand from Alwar during the release of GATS 2 report.
Another tobacco victim, Prakash from Kota who has also oral cancer, tearfully urged people to stop consuming tobacco.
Speaking with difficulty, Chand said, “Because my tongue was removed, saliva drips continuously from my mouth; I am mentally, physically, emotionally and economically shattered.”
Expressing happiness over decline in tobacco use, Saraf said, “Banning tobacco alone in Rajasthan will not prove successful because people will still be using it. Ban on tobacco can be successful if it is done in the entire country.” He said more efforts would be made to create awareness and control tobacco use. He said, “Use tobacco is not at all safe in any manner as it causes cancer, asthma, heart diseases, tuberculosis and other fatal diseases and even causes impotency.”
Principal secretary, health, Veenu Gupta said, “40% people die in Rajasthan because of tobacco use.” She emphasised coordinated efforts by health, education, woman and child development, and panchayati raj departments, and voluntary organisations to bring down tobacco use.
Gupta suggested that people involved in bidi making be inspired to switch to other works through skill development.
Economic adviser to ministry of health and family welfare Arun Kumar Jha said, “Rajasthan has done better in implementation of Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA); other states should take inspiration from Rajasthan.”
National Health Mission chief Jain said, “These days, youths are attracted towards e-cigarettes and hukkahs, but strong efforts should be made to remove the myths about these things.”
Dr Pawan Singhal, cancer surgeon with Sawai Man Singh Hospital and Rajasthan patron of Voice of Tobacco Victims, said, “It is good that there is decline in tobacco users, but still a long way to go. Here people are talking about death of tobacco users, but daily I see people dying because of cancer, as I operate on many tobacco victims daily.”