Restriction on sale of tobacco in Kohima today
Our Correspondent
Kohima | May 30
Nagaland with 57% stands close to Mizoram state as the highest tobacco user prevalence in north east.
Nagaland along with the rest of the country will observe World No Tobacco Day on May 31. In view of ‘World No Tobacco Day’, the Kohima Municipal Council (KMC) earlier directed all the shop keepers within the jurisdiction of KMC not to sell tobacco in any form in the shops on May 31. Failure to comply with this notice, necessary action will be taken as deemed fit, said KMC chief executive officer Elizabeth Ngully.
The prevalence of tobacco use in north eastern states is life threatening, a release received here said.
“Unless we act, it will kill up to 8 million people by 2030, of which more than 80% will live in low and middle income countries,” according to IEC, Directorate of Health & Family Welfare, Nagaland. World No Tobacco Day is observed every year worldwide on May 31st.and promoted by World Health Organization (WHO). The objective of the World No Tobacco Day is to reduce tobacco consumption which can lead to deadly disease like cancer and early death.
Individuals, non-profit organizations and public health organizations actively participate in making this day a success by distributing placards and displaying posters with the latest information on the ill effects of consuming tobacco and smoking.
World No Tobacco Day primarily focus on encouraging users to refrain from Tobacco consumption and its related products for a period of at least 24 hours on this day. WHO has selected “Tobacco Industry interference” as the theme of this year.
The campaign will focus on the need to expose and counter the tobacco industry’s brazen and increasingly aggressive attempts to undermine the WHO framework convention of Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) because of the serious danger they pose to public health. Tobacco use is one of the leading preventable causes of death. The global tobacco epidemic kills nearly 6 million people each year, of which more than 600,000 are people exposed to the second-hand smoke.
As more and more countries move to fully meet their obligations under the WHO FCTC, the tobacco industry’s efforts to undermine the treaty are becoming more and more energetic.
For example, in an attempt to halt the adoption of pictorial health warnings on package of tobacco, the industry recently adopted the novel tactic of suing countries under bilateral investment treaties, claiming that the warming impinge the companies attempts to use their legally registered brands.
The release said that the industry’s attempts to undermine the treaty continue to other fronts, particularly with regard to countries attempts to ban smoking in enclosed public places and to ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.
World No Tobacco Day 2012 will educate policy makers and the general public about the tobacco industry’s nefarious and harmful effect. The release said. WHO will urge countries to put the fight against tobacco industry interference at the heart of their efforts to control the global tobacco epidemic.
