To raise awareness about dangers of smokeless tobacco, Health Minstry is launching a nation- wide campaign 'Tears you apart' featuring people suffering from horrific cancers and disfigurements due to their chewing addition.
Smokeless tobacco, which is consumed by tens of millions of Indians every day, is the most used form of tobacco in the country among the lower socio-economic groups and women in particular prefer smokeless tobacco over smoking forms.
The Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) found that 21 crore Indians use smokeless tobacco. The survey found that 26 per cent of adults consume smokeless tobacco in India - 33 per cent of adult males and 18.4 per cent of adult females.
Smokeless tobacco includes gutkha, zarda, paan masala, zarda, paan with tobacco and khaini.
The campaign has been developed with technical support from World Lung Foundation.
The campaign public service announcement (PSA) was filmed in B Barooah Cancer Institute in Guwahati, Assam and at the Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
It features victims who are suffering from horrific cancers and disfigurements as a result of their chewing addition. It also includes comments from relatives of victims who describes how tobacco-related illnesses have destroyed careers, family life, and added to financial burdens.
The PSA graphically warns the public that tobacco can literally tear lives and families apart and urges smokeless tobacco users to quit the habit.
The Campaign is being released in 16 languages for a Pan- India coverage. It will make use of all national and regional Doordarshan channels and All India Radio. The campaign is expected to run for a period of 5-6 weeks.
