‘Awareness, decoy ops key to ending tobacco menace’
Health secretary and mission director National Health Mission Naveen Jain on World No Tobacco Day on Thursday said that tobacco menace can be controlled if work is done on the lines of pre-conception and prenatal diagnostic technique (PCPNDT).
He said, “We can have decoy operations for effective implementation of Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) and effective awareness can be created among youth and people through ‘Daughters are Precious’ campaign.”
Addressing a state level function on World No Tobacco Day, Jain said Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS-2) 2016-17 shows tobacco consumption has reduced by 7.6% from 32.3% in GATS-1 to 24.7% in GATS-2, but there has been no impact on the tobacco companies.
He said that the profits of tobacco companies are increasing each year and none of the tobacco vendors have shifted to other business stating that customers have reduced, less profit margins in tobacco products etc, which really raises question on reduction of tobacco users.
The official also added that people working in National Tobacco Control Programme or with the health department or in government have to work with dedication and should raise voice against violation of COTPA.
NHM MD also targeted a Bollywood star who is on air promoting a brand of pan masala. He said celebrities should stay away from promoting pan masala and other tobacco products as their fans looking up to them as idols start consuming such products.
On this occasion, health minister Kali Charan Saraf said the aim should be to make five people quit the habit of consuming tobacco in a year. A committee has been formed to study the ill-effects of e-cigarettes and based on the report, decision will be taken to ban it in Rajasthan. Replying to question of banning tobacco in the state, he said, “It is not possible as it will promote smuggling of tobacco into the state from neighbouring states. Ban can be successful if tobacco is banned in the entire country.”
Minister of state for health Banshidhar Khandela said that the problem of tobacco is not confined to the health department but is a global problem.
Rajendra Choudhary of Ayushman Nursing College, Jaipur; Dr RP Saini of Dhanwantri Institute of Medical Sciences Jaipur; Dr Pramod Pal of JLN Nursing College, Jaipur; Rakesh Bhandari C&F of Parle; Shashikant Sharma, vice chancellor of Rajasthan University of Health Sciences and state team of integrated disease surveillance programme were awarded for their cooperation in ‘Swasthya Dal Aapke Dwar’ campaign held in February 26 to 28 in Jaipur.
Along with them, Brahma Kumari World Spiritual University’s Banarasi Lal and his team were awarded for their work on creating awareness on tobacco. Sriganganagar, Kota and Hanumangarh district tobacco control cells were awarded for their commendable work.
Additional mission director NHM Aarushi A Malik, director public health Dr VK Mathur, director reproductive and child health Dr SM Mittal, joint director NHM Tirbhuvanpati, state nodal officer tobacco control Dr SN Dholpuria and other officials were also present on the occasion.
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