Chennai: With the number of tobacco consumers seeing a rise across the country each year, the Central government had only last year implemented an 80 per cent pictorial warning policy, in the hope of it evoke a sense of fear among cigarette users.
Following various surveys conducted over the year, it was seen that there has been a decline in the number of consumers in the state. “The second phase of GATS will be released next month,” said Prasanna, state consultant for National TB Control Programme.
Though the progress is slow, the state public health department ensures that the law is enforced. “The state has been seeing a steady decline in the number of smokers,” Kulandaisamy, director, department of public health.
Though there was a pictorial warning earlier as well, the increase in its size is slowly making a difference, he said, adding that Tamil Nadu was one among the only two states in the country to see a 10 per cent decline in the number of consumers over the course of the past one decade.
“Implementation of the 80 per cent pictorial warning is good, but is in itself not enough. Also, education at school level is the need of the hour,” said Dr Prasanna Kumar Thomas, a pulmanologist.
Reiterating the necessity for eradicating tobacco on an individual level, Dr E. Vidhubala, an associate professor in the Resource Centre for Tobacco Control at the Cancer Institute, said many refrain from letting go with the misconception that it is difficult to do so. “Anyone can quit smoking. An individual who has quit should get proper love and counselling from family members and loved ones else he/she may get back to the bad habit,” she said.
