State-level dissemination workshop on tobacco control concludes

State-level dissemination workshop on tobacco control concludes

Our Staff Correspondent

Dibrugarh: A State-level workshop on tobacco control issues in Assam was organized by Consumer VOICE, Delhi and Consumers’ Legal Protection Forum, Assam, at the Xahityarathi Laxminath Bezbaruah Bhavan. It concluded successfully on Saturday.

The purpose of the event was sensitization of stakeholders on tobacco control measures, especially to protect the young generation from tobacco menace. Advocate Ajoy Hazarika, secretary of Consumers’ Legal Protection Forum, shared key findings of a recent study conducted about tobacco vendors in Dibrugarh, Jorhat and Guwahati. He said that the density of tobacco vendors was too high in both commercial and residential areas and there was no record available of tobacco vendors. “We found 324 tobacco vendors in 6 wards/areas of 3 cities. Tobacco vendors are violating COTPA, 2003.

Mandatory warning display board was not found at 67 per cent tobacco point of sale. Tobacco products are displayed openly, amounting to advertisements at every point of sale. Tobacco advertisements were found at 50 per cent point of sale. Sale of loose cigarettes is rampant (around 33 per cent), which frustrate purpose of pictorial warning at package. Around 87 per cent tobacco vendors were found selling candy and chips, the products meant for and to attract children/youth to tobacco shops,” Hazarika disclosed. He suggested to develop a mechanism of tobacco vendor licensing in Assam by municipalities to control tobacco consumption.

Hazarika further informed, “The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, vide letter dated September 21, 2017 and Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation on September 28, 2018 issued advisories to all Principal Secretary/Secretary Urban Development/ Local Self Government) of all States/UTs/ Urban Local Bodies for ensuring licensing mechanisms for tobacco vendors with restriction on sale of candy and chips. He expressed concern that Assam had shown a significant rise of 9 per cent in overall tobacco consumption from 39.3 per cent during the last survey in 2009-10 to 48.2 per cent now compared to 6 per cent decline in national average as per Global Adult Tobacco Survey report 2016-17.

There was a panel discussion on the needs and strategies for protecting young generation from the menace of tobacco where Dr. Simanta Madhab Baruah, Professor, Assam Medical College Hospital; Dr. Riktom Borgohain, District Nodal Officer, Tobacco Control Cell, Dibrugarh and Dr. Udayan Baruah, Joint Director of Health, Services, Dibrugarh gave their valuable suggestions on the issue. Mukul Chandra Deka, vice-chairman of Dibrugarh Municipal Board, spoke on the role of municipal bodies in tobacco control. The workshop was attended by more than 50health experts, tobacco control officials, youth icons, officials from municipal board, students leaders, media, students, Resident Welfare Associations, CSOs and activists working on tobacco control, consumer and child right issues.

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