A major awareness campaign will be launched to check tobacco consumption. Social organisations and common people will be associated with the campaign to be spearheaded by the Chief Minister.
This was announced by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan at the inaugural session of a workshop on World Cancer Day here on Tuesday. Health Minister Narottam Mishra was also present on the occasion.
The Chief Minister said that Madhya Pradesh is the first State in the country to ban Gutka. Apart from campaign to check tobacco consumption, it is also necessary to implement laws strictly. Harms of tobacco consumption will also be highlighted during ‘Aao Banayen Apna Madhya Pradesh Abhiyan’. Free medicines for cancer will be provided in all district hospitals. Increase in VAT on tobacco and its products will be considered. Suggestions to be put forth at this workshop will be effectively implemented, he added.
Delivering a welcome address at the outset, Principal Secretary Health Praveer Krishna informed that district officers of education, health, Panchayat, police and administration are participating in the workshop. Cancer specialist Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi said that tobacco consumption is not an addiction but a disease. It causes death of every third person consuming it. According to a survey, he said that about 2 crore people consume tobacco in the State.
Children must be saved from tobacco. DGP Nandan Dube, social worker Madan Mohan Joshi, Principal Secretary Education JN Kansotiya, Principal Secretary Technical Education Sanjay Singh and Health Commissioner Pankaj Agrawal were also present.