Conservative estimates put tobacco-attributable deaths in India at about 8 lakh per year (around 16% of the global tobacco-attributable mortality), with a definite increasing trend.
Dr Surendra Shastri
Conservative estimates put tobacco-attributable deaths in India at about 8 lakh per year (around 16% of the global tobacco-attributable mortality), with a definite increasing trend. Unless immediate and effective tobacco control measures are implemented, we will face a public health catastrophe in not too distant a future. The government, on its part, was among the first countries to sign WHO’s Framework Convention for Tobacco Control and also ratified it with a comprehensive law — The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003.
Health is a State Subject and local bodies are not only empowered, but are also responsible for taking measures required to protect citizens’ health. The BMC has launched a campaign to clean up Mumbai. To this, we must add measures to ban smoking in public places.
Ireland was the first country to ban smoking - it came into effect March 2004 - in workplaces, pubs, restaurants etc. Norway, New Zealand and Italy followed in its footsteps. Since then a number of cities and provinces in the US, Canada, Europe and Australia have enacted smoke-free laws, New York, Los Angeles and Shanghai are already smoke-free. Chandigarh is the first Indian city to officially ban smoking.
As regarding compliance, several restaurant owners have said that they would enforce a no smoking rule and that a law would be a most useful tool.
The Tata Memorial Hospital proposes, the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) and the Action Council against Tobacco - India will launch a Tobacco-Smoke Free Mumbai Campaign. Mumbai will also host the 14th World Conference on Tobacco or Health in February 2009 and it would be the best time to present Mumbai as an attractive and progressive city that is worth visiting, living in and investing in.
Dr Shastri is a professor and head of the Dept of Preventive Oncology at Tata Memorial Centre
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}