Chennai: To curb illegal sale of tobacco and tobacco-related products, Adyar Cancer Institute at Adyar here has roped in traders’ bodies in sensitising them about the ill effects of selling banned tobacco products. Of the total cancer-affected men in the country, 40 per cent was due to usage of tobacco and tobacco related products, says Dr V Shanta, institute’s chairperson. Dr Shanta says, “The government should implement the already existing ban that included fining for smoking in the public and sale of tobacco products near educational institutions.”
While the packets of tobacco products have about 40 per cent pictorial warnings currently, the Centre, after several representations had taken steps to bring a notification on putting 85 per cent of the pictorial warnings on the packets. But, the high-level committee at the Centre has stopped it, she says. Dr Shanta has written to the Prime Minister in April requesting him to look into the matter and remove the members of the committee, who have conflict of interest as they run tobacco-manufacturing companies. The letter also highlighted the interference of the tobacco industries in health policies, which affected the country on the whole.
Earlier, Dr E. Vidhubala, associate professor, Resource Centre for Tobacco Control, showed some of the tobacco chewing products available in the state. She says, “Such products are easily available everywhere and they did not follow most of the norms that have to be followed.” The institute conducted a one-day sensitisation workshop for members of the traders association on Saturday. More than 100 traders participated.
