Assam joins campaign for health warning on tobacco packs

By our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, March 10: In a significant development for the implementation of new pictorial warnings on tobacco packs in India, several representations and  signed letters from women groups, youth associations, doctors, hospitals, self-help groups, heads of educatiol institutions, voluntary organizations, etc., across Assam have been sent to the Prime Minister and Health Minister strongly advocating and supporting for the stronger/new pictorial warnings to be implemented on all tobacco packs from April 1, 2015.

Various eminent intertiol public health organizations working on tobacco control and cancer issues across India have also earlier wrote letters individually to the Prime Minister rendra Modi and Health Minister JP dda for the impressive public health achievement of the new tobacco package health warnings to come into force from April 1, 2015.

Beginning April 1, 2015 every tobacco product will carry on both sides pictorial depiction of throat and mouth cancer and a message in English, Hindi or any Indian language.

In Assam people from different walk of life have signed the online petition which was already acquired nearly 16,000 sigtures.   

“More and more people through organizations, institutions and individually are involving themselves in the campaign. People are now becoming aware of the extreme hazards of tobacco consumption and they are showing their support for larger pictorial warnings by signing the petition and sending written representations to the, Government of India. The government cannot ignore the appeal of the people and will implement the new pictorial health warnings from April 1,” said Ruchira Neog, executive secretary, Voluntary Health Association of Assam (VHAA). VHAA is one of the organizations which are running this campaign in Assam.