|
Maharashtra among top tobacco consumers in India
Friday June 15, 2012 07:11:01 PM,
IANS
|
|
|
|
|
Mumbai: Despite a
prohibition on smoking in public and a proposed ban on consuming gutka, Maharashtra remains one of the largest consumers of tobacco
in any form in the country, a Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS)
factsheet for the state revealed here Friday.
The GATS report indicates that despite a high level of awareness
about the hazards of tobacco use among adults, current prevalence
of tobacco use is still high with 31.4 percent adults using it.
In a special message for the GATS report release, Chief Minister
Prithviraj Chavan expressed alarm at the figures of tobacco
products consumption in the state.
"The Maharashtra government is committed to take strict action
against violators of Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA)
and looking forward to a 'tobacco-free state' with the proposed
ban on gutka," Chavan assured.
Healis Sekhsaria Institute of Public Health director P.C. Gupta
said that in view of the seriousness of the tobacco problem, the
state government's move to ban gutka was "most welcome," after a
similar ban implemented in Kerala and Madhya Pradesh.
Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital's (TMCH) head of Preventive Oncology
Surendra Shastri said tobacco companies have been manipulating
public opinion about the harm caused by tobacco consumption
through intense lobbying and misleading advertisements.
"The country has made some tough laws to protect its citizens from
the tobacco epidemic - the implementing agencies should now
enforce them strictly without being swayed by any kind of
pressure. I also appeal to senior legal luminaries to abstain from
appearing in courts on behalf of the killer tobacco companies,"
Shastri urged.
TMCH Director Rajendra Badwe said tobacco consumption is
responsible for over 40 percent of cancer deaths in the country.
"The GATS data would be very useful to estimate the exact extent
and nature of the problem and plan important preventive measures.
Imagine the useful lives and money that the country could save by
just strictly implementing all provisions of COTPA 2003," Badwe
added.
Experts at the meeting said that tobacco use is the leading
preventable cause of premature disease and death in the world and
kills up to half of those who use it. In the 20th century, the
tobacco epidemic killed 100 million people worldwide, and during
the 21st century, it is estimated to kill one billion people.
Containing this epidemic is one of the most important public
health priorities of our time, they urged.
|
|
Home |
Top of the Page
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Top Stories |
|
 Its
official. Pranab Mukherjee is UPA's choice for president
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is the
United Progressive Alliance's (UPA) presidential nominee, Congress
president Sonia Gandhi announced Friday and appealed »
The mathematics of India's presidential poll
SP, BSP
extend supports; Omar tweets 'Congratulations Pranab Da'
|
|
|
|
Most Read |
|
 Mamata sends 'advance congratulations' to
Kalam
Stating
that the Samajwadi Party (SP) was with her, Trinamool Congress
chief Mamata Banerjee Friday said former president A.P.J. Abdul
Kalam would contest the presidential elections and sent "advance
»
The mathematics of India's presidential poll
President Poll: BJP to send Swamy as emissary to Mulayam
|
|
Egypt Supreme Court calls for parliament's
dissolution
The Egyptian Supreme Court Thursday caused outrage after calling
for the dissolution of the parliament's lower house in the
country.
It ruled that last year's parliamentary election was
unconstitutional and said that one third of the seats were
"illegitimate", BBC reported. The controversial decision
» |
|
|
|
News Pick |
|
 Syrian children detained, tortured
and used as human shields: UN
Pro-government forces in Syria have detained,
tortured and used young children as human shields during the
ongoing conflict, which is now being called
»
UN mission in Syria finds 13 bodies with
hands tied behind backs
Nearly 90 killed in Syria in yet another massacre: Report
|
|
Gold medallist Pinki accused of being male, held for 'rape'
Asian Games gold medal winning athlete Pinki Pramanik was arrested after a complaint was made that she is
a male and has allegedly raped a woman, police said Thursday.
"We arrested Pramanik Thursday morning after a woman lodged
»
|
|
Activists protest outside Chidambaram's house against arrest of
innocents
Slamming the government over the arrest of the
Muslim youth in the name of fighting terror, activists belonging
to over two dozen organizations on Thursday protested
»
|
|
Syrian children detained, tortured
and used as human shields: UN
Pro-government forces in Syria have detained,
tortured and used young children as human shields during the
ongoing conflict, which is now being called
»
UN mission in Syria finds 13 bodies with
hands tied behind backs
Nearly 90 killed in Syria in yet another massacre: Report
|
|
|
|
Picture of the Day |
|
 |
|
The model of the Shaikh Zayed Grand
Mosque presented to the Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Centre
for Arabic Language and Islamic Studies in Beijing by the Shaikh
Zayed Grand Mosque Centre. The 1:150 scale model is made of
acrylic.
(Photo: Gulf
News) |
|
|
|
|
Comments
|
Quick links