Shillong, Aug 21: Health and Family Welfare Additional Secretary Ramakrishna Chitturi said the fight against menace of tobacco consumption should be community-based.
Chitturi was speaking at a function to mark the state level observation of “Tobacco Free Meghalaya”, organised by the National Tobacco Control Programme, National Health Mission.
He said through the collaborative efforts of the Health, Social Welfare, Education and Police departments and other agencies the menace of tobacco could be reduced.
The Additional Secretary stressed that if the government takes coercive action the result will be dissident. “We should always be community oriented, they should take ownership,” he said even as he pointed out that during COVID pandemic every citizen was involved to fight its spread.
Chitturi said that similarly for tobacco too, there should be village level action, adding that students are most important in this fight.
Firstly young children are impressionable, they get influenced easily and secondly, they can go back to their families and explain to them about the ill effects of tobacco. Those who consume tobacco are battling cancer and other related illnesses and families suffer, he added.
Meanwhile, Ivan Benson Diengdoh Additional Superintendent of Police (SP), East Khasi Hills district explained about the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003. He also reiterated that to achieve the goal of tobacco-free, Meghalaya requires the involvement of all stakeholders.
Diengdoh urged students to be different and choose not to smoke or use tobacco. He said that tobacco is considered to be a gateway to drugs and the Meghalaya Police fight for a tobacco-free state, will also bring about a drug-free State.
