GUWAHATI: Consumers’ Legal Protection Forum (CLPF) Assam, in collaboration with Consumer VOICE, New Delhi, organised a three-day series of street plays across various parts of Kamrup Metro district with the theme: “Strengthen Tobacco Control Law to Save Lives”.
The series of 10 street plays, which was organised from June 23 to 25, culminated with a submission of a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Earlier, an inaugural ceremony was held on the premises of the directorate of health services, Hengerabari. Dr Nilmadhab Das, director of health services, Assam, Dr Ruplal Nunisa, additional director of health services, Dr. Bhanu Saikia, joint director of health services and Dr. Arundhati Deka, state nodal officer, NTCP, jointly inaugurated the street play series.
In his inaugural speech, Dr. Nilmadhab Das said that the usage of tobacco poses a significant risk factor for non-communicable diseases including cancer, cardio-vascular diseases, and lung disorders.
“It is deeply concerning that tobacco companies are deliberately targeting teenagers and young individuals, enticing them to consume products such as gutkha, bidi, cigarettes, and other tobacco items through aggressive marketing strategies. It is of absolute importance that anti-tobacco laws are strengthened and made comprehensible for better implantation in order to safeguard the children and citizens of our country from the harms of tobacco,” he said.
10 street plays were performed near Down Town Hospital, Hengerabari, Guwahati Railway Station, Dhirenpara, Adabari Bus Stand, Jalukbari, Lokhra, Bamunimaidam Market, Narengi Market and Fancy Bazar area.
Participants of the street plays sensitised the stakeholders and created awareness among the common people for effective tobacco control laws to protect the young generation from the tobacco menace.
During the street plays, advocate Ajoy Hazarika, secretary of Consumers’ Legal Protection Forum, Assam, conducted an awareness drive among the common people and appealed to the central government to strengthen the tobacco control law in the upcoming session of Parliament.
He urged the powers that be to remove the designated smoking areas to make India 100 percent smoke-free and ban the points of sale to save the younger children and youth from the menace of tobacco.
Members of CLPF displayed placards with slogans to strengthen the tobacco control law. More than 700 people across the Kamrup Metro district signed a memorandum and appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to strengthen the tobacco control law and keep the young generation away from tobacco addiction.
Last month, the CLPF Assam organised an initiative on Mother’s Day, where hundreds of mothers across the state came together and appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to strengthen the tobacco control law for saving the young generation from tobacco addiction in the state.
They also submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister requesting him to consider the immediate introduction of a strong tobacco control law in the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament in the interest of public health.
The campaign was organised simultaneously in major cities of the state.
Notably, the use of tobacco is a very high risk factor for multiple causes of death and almost 40 percent of the Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) including cancer, cardio-vascular diseases and lung disorders are attributable to tobacco use.
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As per the recent Global Youth Tobacco Survey released by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, nearly one-fifth of students aged between 13 years and 15 years are using tobacco products in India.
The nationwide survey of students revealed that 38 percent of cigarettes, 47 percent of bidi and 52 percent of smokeless tobacco users pick up the habit before their 10th birthday.
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