KOCHI: This open letter is to express our gratitude for the landmark decision to ban the sale of pan masala, gutka and all sorts of smokeless tobacco in our state. This is especially welcome as the ban has come on the eve of ‘World No-Tobacco Day’ which falls on May 31. This is a gift to our fellow human beings, the children, young adults and even unborn new generation of our beloved state. Tobacco is the only product which has the ability to kill 60 percent of its consumers and patrons. Millions die across the globe due to the ill-effects of tobacco, including cancer, heart attacks, angina, high blood pressure, cerebrovascular accidents, cerebral arteriosclerosis and chronic respiratory diseases, chronic bronchitis. It has also the capacity to produce impotence in males, lack of sperm counts, infertility in females and still births in pregnant mothers. Tobacco kills 10-15 lakh persons annually in India (more than TB, HIV/AIDS, malaria combined) 2,500 deaths daily. It causes 50 percent of cancers in men and 25 percent in women. India has got the highest incidence of oral cancer and other head and neck cancers in the world. The Director General WHO has said that “The tobacco industry subverted science, economics and political process to market lethal and inherently defective products that impose a massive burden of disease and death on the countries.’’ Tobacco killed one person every eight seconds. That made it 4 million preventable deaths.If one product is banned, it indirectly promotes another product with similar contents and that is human tendency. Why not ban the sale of the old Kerala -style pan (“Murukkan”) the usage of which is rampant among the low socio- economic strata in our state from time immemorial as well?Pan /gutka kills only the consumer but cigarette destroys the innocent people around as well. Looking at the quantum of diseases cigarettes can induce as mentioned earlier, why we only target pan and gutka. It is the right of non-smokers and un-born children in the womb of mothers to enjoy fresh air. Why should we not take action or help to reduce that menace also?There is a regulation and law regarding explicit display of smoking scenes in cinemas and serials.(COTPA-2003). But as we look around we can see it is grossly violated by film makers. When superstars perform any vices, the fans and children will try to emulate them. You could see such huge hoardings across Kerala of several movie stars of Malayalam filmdom with burning cigarettes on their lip. Can you not give stricter instructions to the Censor Board not to sanction release of such movies? I have direct knowledge from the community survey conducted in Ernakulam district that schoolgoing children are lured into pan chewing by peers and elders. Majority of brands even add ganja and glass pieces to get the “kick” faster and to adhere to one. Why not educate children on the ill- effects of tobacco through curriculum? If properly taught and if the teachers do not show double standard (tobacco usage among teachers will have negative impact). Will it not add more credibility to the ban? (Dr Thomas Varughese is the Head of Cancer Division.Surgical Oncologist and Reconstructive Surgeon, Lakeshore Hospital,Kochi. Mob 9447173088 e-mail: [email protected] views in the article are the author’s own).
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