Sale of tobacco on the rise in Tandur
Tandur: Despite ban and frequent raids by police the supply of gutka has been going unabated in the town. The marble town is a place for thousands of workers who earn their bred with daily wages. As the marble industry is the major employer, workers are prone to lung related diseases due to the dust they inhale every day. Apart from the industry hazards, they have been addicted to tobacco products like cigar, cigarettes, gutka, jarda etc. Local doctors admit that the number of cancer related diseases are on rise, these days.
Dr Jayaprasad, doctor of district hospital said that the chewing of tobacco causes oral cancer apart from causing other hazardous health effects. “People of the town are addicting to tobacco products and risking their lives. People mistakenly think that these habits give mental peace. But these habits will kill,” said the doctor. He said de-addiction centres are available in Hyderabad. Keeping the view of public health, the government banned gutka. Even the apex court took it seriously and ordered all the states to implement ban effectively. Though huge stocks of gutka are being caught by the officials off and then.
Tandur is a business town. Apart from local public, so many people visit the town daily. The cigarette vendors always ready with gutka stocks to sell as the demand is very high. Except a couple of panshops, all vendors have the gutka stocks. As the ‘product’ is being available easily, the addicted people are not giving up the habit. Keeping the demand and citing the government’s ban vendors are selling gutkas for high prices.
Initially police conducted raids and registered cases against the gutka sellers. But now, they are not keen on containing the gutka. The town has road and railway connectivity with towns in Maharashtra and Karnataka. The alleged gutka has been transported to the town via road and rail as the checking authorities turned blind eye. Circle Inspector Prathapa Lingam said that they will conduct a special drive soon. “We already registered some cases against some vendors. We will take stern action on people who transport and sell the banned tobacco product,” he said.