BHOPAL: National Centre for Human Settlements & Environment (NCHSE), Bhopal along with Delhi- based Consumer VOICE urged all stakeholders to take pledge to say no to tobacco on occasion of World Cancer Day,
The organisations also urge the state government to implement the rules for tobacco vendor licensing to prevent indiscriminate selling of tobacco products, is the leading cause of cancerous diseases
The state coordinator Pradip Nandi informed that they had asked the state government to impose strict rule against the sale of tobacco near schools and also to implement the earlier order released in this regard.
The National Health Mission Madhya Pradesh issued advisory to all CMOs on February 15 2019 to create tobacco free zones around schools for the compliance of Section 6(a) & 6(b) of COTPA, 2003 to protect the young generation from tobacco menace. However, in view of non implementation of vendor licensing for tobacco products and lack of strict monitoring the advisories of the tobacco products are being sold unrestricted to persons irrespective of their age and even at restricted places.
Nandi further added that as per Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS-2) data, prevalence of tobacco consumption is on the rise in Madhya Pradesh, in comparison to GATS-I study report. GATS-2 shows 35 % per cent of adults in MP consume tobacco in some form or the other. A study conducted jointly by NCHSE and Consumer Voice in 2018-19 revealed that 84% Tobacco Vendors in Madhya Pradesh Selling Toffee, Chips Etc. along with Tobacco Products to lure youngsters.
