Children, public health experts commit to build a tobacco-free generation

Bengaluru: As part of the World No Tobacco Day 2021, children, parents, teachers and public health experts joined hands and committed to build a 'Tobacco-Free Generation'. They handed over a memorandum to Woman and Child Welfare Minister Shashikala Jolle, with measures to be considered towards building a tobacco-free generation.

Tobacco-free generation is a campaign promoted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) across its member states including India. India has the second-largest number (268 million) of tobacco users globally, and of these 13 lakhs die every year from tobacco-related diseases. Nearly 27 per cent of all cancers in India are due to tobacco. According to the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) a whopping 14.6 per cent of the youths aged 13-15 years in India use tobacco.

In the webinar, 'Voices for Tobacco-Free Generation' organized by Consortium for Tobacco-Free Karnataka as part of the World No Tobacco Day 2021, on Monday, Sapna H M, a college student said,"In the current situation, tobacco products are sold to anyone and anywhere. One of the significant steps towards building a tobacco-free generation is to first ensure that tobacco products are not available to children. This can be done through vendor licensing."

Jolle said "Tobacco is one of the very few products that kills its users. Glamorising tobacco through movies and advertisements has a lot of influence on children. Our government will consider the recommendations in the memorandum to curb tobacco usage."

Some of the recommendations in the memorandum submitted to the government include- restrict easy access to tobacco products to children through the introduction of vendor licensing, including harmful effects of tobacco and the laws pertaining to it in the curricula, impose ban on hookah bars as they attract children with different flavours, banning the manufacture and sale of chewing tobacco and take measures to promote alternative cropping to tobacco farmers. The memorandum will also be submitted to Chief Minister B S Yeddiyurappa, Home Minister Mr Basavaraj Bommai and Urban Development Minister Mr Byrati Basavaraj.

S J Chander, Convenor, Consortium for Tobacco-Free Karnataka (CFTFK) said "Tobacco has an addictive influence on minors. Children can be easily influenced and that is why they are the main target of the tobacco industry. Access to tobacco should be restricted to minors.

Children, parents, teachers and public health experts will work towards building a tobacco-free generation. The initiative that has started now will emerge as a great movement in the coming days."