North East pledges to make tobacco-free region
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Addie Chiphang
Guwahati, March 03 2013 :
IN a significant move, thousands of people, including Ministers, Government officials, NGOs, school children, Cancer patients and doctors on Saturday pledged not to consume tobacco and other tobacco related products to make the Northeast a tobacco-free region.
At the campaign, which was launched in Guwahati on Saturday, people from different parts of Northeastern States and from different walks of life also took a vow to bring down increasing rate of cancer in the region.
Launching the campaign, Chief Minister of Assam Tarun Gogoi, announced that the Government of Assam would be issuing a circular very soon to the Education and the Health Departments for initiating strict action against any official and school teacher who consumes tobacco and tobacco-related products.
Defiance of the circular may in forced voluntary retirement of the said official or teacher.
This is to set Assam as a model amongst the North-eastern States.
The campaign for a Tobacco-Free Northeast is a joint initiative of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Department of Health and Family welfare, Government of Assam.
According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) conducted by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Northeast has the highest incidence of tobacco consumption in India at 44.1%, which is even higher than the National average of 35%.In term of smokeless tobacco consumption, Mizoram at 67 %, Nagaland at 57 %, Tripura at 55 %, Meghalaya at 55 %, Manipur at 54 % and Assam at 39 % .
"Thousands of people are dying of cancer and cardiac diseases every year after consuming gutka, pan masala, khaini, tobacco and cigarettes.
This campaign will help generate awareness among the people and help make a healthier state.
The government is going to initiate a tobacco ban Act in the March Assembly session.
A revolution against tobacco and other tobacco-related products has started from today," Gogoi observed.
Gogoi has been designated as the brand ambassador for the special anti-tobacco campaign aimed at increasing awareness about the effects of tobacco consumption and its health impact.
Gogoi said that Northeast especially Assam, has the highest number of cases of cancer because of consumption of tobacco products.
The Chief Minister said that his government cannot compromise on health of citizens and the ban on tobacco products has to be enforced strictly.
Gauhati High Court last month registered a public interest litigation (PIL) against Dispur's failure to ban gutkha and other smokeless tobacco products in Assam.
A division bench of the high court, comprising Chief Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel and Justice Arup Kumar Goswami, took up the PIL on the basis of a letter written to Goel by the Assam chapter of the Indian Dental Association.
Health and Education Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma, who was also present on the occasion, said, "Today is the historic day for the entire region because a revolution has started to put an end to the sale and consumption of smokeless tobacco products.
Very soon the government is going to issue a circular to the health and education department officials and also the teachers that strict action will be taken against officials who consume tobacco and other tobacco-related products.
The officials will be given a time-period of six months to stop consuming these products and if they fail to do so, they will be given a second chance to leave the habit within one year, failing which they will be asked to take voluntary retirement" .
A rally was taken out in the morning where 2,500 school children from 40 schools, 100 nurses, 70 scouts and guides besides common people participated.
A media advocacy workshop was also held later during the day at Pragati Manor, GS road Guwahati.
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