The recent decision of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to put more graphic pictorial warnings on all tobacco products should be welcomed by everyone. Moreover, having different sets of pictures for smoking and smokeless tobacco products is a progressive step in the right direction.
The government cannot afford to ban the production and sale of tobacco products. Thus banning tobacco cannot be a solution in India because it might lead to illegal production and supply, which may bring severe revenue loss to the country. So, educating adolescents and the youth on the harmful effects of tobacco consumption is the key.
The government earlier took a good step by banning smoking in public places. However, the rule has not been implemented properly because we are still dependent on the government machinery for enforcing it. In this context, the government’s tobacco-control cells at state levels should work with organisations that work on education, youth affairs and women empowerment to ensure the ban of smoking in public places.
The media must also be balanced and highlight the positive steps the government takes to control the consumption of tobacco.
Ajay K Tripathy, Thiruvananthapuram
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