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| Smoking takes heavy toll of human lives | | |
PANKHURI AGGARWAL
JAMMU, Oct 18: Cigarette and tobacco products are posing a great threat to human lives and around five million people die annually due to tobacco consumption. As per an estimate worked out scientifically the figure is likely to swell to ten million human lives annually by 2030 if consumption of such products remains unchecked. A Startling revelation is that benefits accrued in the form of revenue and employment generated by the tobacco industry is far less than economic burden on the nation arising out of treating tobacco related diseases. Jammu and Kashmir High Court has reserved orders on a Public Interest Litigation regarding the ban on smoking in public places but there seems no relieve to this problem as still people are caught smoking in public areas. Recently the special anti-tobacco squad to prevent smoking in public places has caught twelve persons while smoking and recovered a fine at the rate of Rs 200 each. Even though smoking has been officially banned by the government across public places but for all practical reasons the ban seems non-existent due to lack of clarity within the different ranks of the nodal agency entrusted with the task of implementing the ban. While talking to the person in charge, Garv Uppal, said, "I have asked the officials to put up boards explaining the ban on smoking in public places such theatres, railway stations, restaurants, educational institutions, bus stations, and government and private offices. The telephone numbers of the officials concerned will be displayed on these boards, so that people could provide information about or lodge complaint against the violators."
He further added, "We have started massive campaign to create awareness among the people especially the youth about this ban. And even as per the act a fine of Rs 200 ranging to Rs 1000 will be imposed on the person smoking in the public areas and in addition to that you can even get imprisonment for few years." While examining the track record of danger caused due to smoking these were the points which came into light. Every year ten lakh people die due to tobacco usage in Jammu and Kashmir. One in five deaths among males between age group of thirty to fifty is related to tobacco. One in four youth in Jammu homes are exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke.
It is equally harmful as smoking. It contributes to range of diseases including heart diseases and many cancers. Of the thousand teenagers smoking today five hundred will eventually die due to tobacco. Nearly 52.7 % of men and 5.3 % of women in J&K use tobacco and are exposed to smoking.
It may be mentioned that even after announcing the ban the sale outlets have not been relocated from near hospital buildings, within the 50-100 metre radius of school premises and sale of tobacco products is rampant.
According to the general complaint of the local residents the nodal agency has failed to implement the ban and the same is evident from the total number of challans issued against the defaulters.
The non smokers complained that everywhere we go in the evening we find young and old smoking cigarettes in public places and not a single person is booked by the implementing agencies to strictly enforce the ban.
Advocating the need to launch sustained campaign through different media aimed at educating the masses about health risks involved in continuous use of tobacco products the local residents said the onus is not only on the nodal agency to strictly implement the ban.
The partial responsibility also lies with the responsible citizens adding that it is not appropriate to endanger lives of passive smokers by publicly smoking in public places. According to the guidelines separate corners have been marked out in restaurants, public places like hotels, shopping plazas as smoking zones and the smokers if ever feel the urge to smoke should use the well demarcated places for the purpose. |
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