A deadly addiction

ANY MOVE TO stub the cigarette out is to be welcomed. The Union Cabinet's decision to ban smoking in public places all over the country - it is already in force in some States - will help millions of those who have to suffer the intrusive puffs of smoke of millions of others who freely pollute the atmosphere with sheer inconsideration and indifference. What appears even more positive is the Government's determination to introduce a Bill in the Budget session to stop tobacco advertisements. This will also mean a firm ``no'' to cultural and sports sponsorships. Obviously, much work has gone into this for, the proposed curb will cover all tobacco products, not just cigarette. ``Pan masala'' and ``gutka'', for instance, have been wreaking havoc on people who chew these: it is beyond doubt that this habit causes cancer. A pathbreaking judgment of Justice Narayana Kurup in the Kerala High Court brought out the hazards of passive smoking and firmed up the legal basis for the ban.

What is imperative now is that these steps must be taken to their logical end. Most efforts in this country begin with hype and fanfare, but lose steam even before they reach midway. The restriction on smoking in New Delhi and Kerala, among some other regions, started with a bang, but ended soon after in a whimper. The first thing that strikes one as he or she flies into the capital city is the number of travellers having a puff, as the airport police remain oblivious of the nuisance and harm being created. Or, is it that nobody really cares? With a fifth of the world's four million tobacco-related deaths occurring in India year after year, such insensibility is criminal. Even in Kerala, which boasts of high literacy - and hence, one would presume, greater awareness - the prohibition lost much of its effectiveness in a seeming web of corruption and bribery. The poorly paid constable is more concerned with making an extra buck from an offender than the well-being of society.

The war on tobacco is, therefore, not going to be easy, and it calls for tremendous courage and, maybe unpopular decisions. A law that prevents tobacco companies from flaunting their products in the media can be effective, but only up to a point. Ultimately, who is to say ``no'' to one willing to spend money and buy a pack of cigarettes or ``pan masala'' or ``gutka''? A sustained campaign must be carried out to end this evil, and it must start in the schools, where teachers should set aside a little class time to tell children how tobacco can ruin their lives, eventually killing them. Surveys have revealed that the habit usually forms in the teens. Celebrities can take a pledge not to endorse smoking: a play, ``Dr. Muktha'' (with Mrs. Jaya Bachchan in the lead role), held in Chennai the other evening showed a doctor with the poison stick. Worse, he encouraged someone much younger than him to give him company. Beyond all these, the Government has to grapple with the onerous problem of tobacco farmers. There are hundreds of thousands of families which rely on this crop, largely because it is not easily susceptible to pest attacks and is highly remunerative. Policy- makers must evolve ways of weaning these men away from tobacco; there are any number of other cash crops. Yes, if the demand for tobacco falls, the attraction to grow it will also fade. The answer, then, is education, education with a sincere feeling for health and joy.

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Section  : Opinion
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