People should be aware of tobacco effects: Nizamabad Collector M Rammohan Rao

Nizamabad: District Collector M Rammohan Rao stated that the public should be made aware of the harmful effects and loss caused by tobacco consumption.

He chaired the district-level coordination committee on tobacco control at Pragathi Bhawan assembly hall here on Tuesday. Addressing the participants, the Collector said on an average 13.5 lakh people die every year in the country due to tobacco. Besides causing cancer, tobacco consumption leads to many terrible diseases, he added.

Stating that smuggling of tobacco and other related products was reported in the district, he warned that punishment will be strict for those, who caught smuggling tobacco. Sale or purchase by minors (aged below 18 years) is prohibited. He said tobacco-related advertising is also prohibited under the law. "Tobacco smoking not only causes severe illness but also economic cost as well as hospital costs for the sick," he said.

The Collector urged all the committee members to do their part to prohibit tobacco by educating public, students and young people within their jurisdiction to the fullest extent.

Additional SP Usha Vishwanath, DM&HO Sudarshan, DCL Chaturvedi, DAO Govindu, officials of the respective departments and others were present at the meeting.