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ShareNew Delhi: Toeing a different line from that of his predecessor, Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said today that before banning smoking and drinking on screen there was a need to stop showing more objectionable things like "rape and murder".
"Movies show much more serious things like rape, murder and dacoity. That is a very deep thing to go into. Before banning smoking and drinking, we have to ban rape and murder too," he told reporters on the sidelines of a function to mark the international day against drug abuse here.
His predecessor Anbumani Ramadoss had earned the ire of filmstars for trying to impose a ban on smoking and drinking on screen.
Azad said the Centre was going ahead with the formulation of a national policy against alcohol and drug abuse and appealed to the media to create more awareness about the issue.
"There is nothing like a campaign on television," he said.
Observing that the ministry has set up drug de-addiction centres in all districts across the country, he said these centres were not only treating patients but also creating awareness about alcohol and substance abuse.
The ministry of Health and Family Welfare has already taken the initiative with WHO to formulate a framework policy on alcohol control on the lines of drug control, he added.
