Health Minister calls media,NGO for fight against tobacco

Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla,exhorted the media and NGOs to come forward and lend a helping hand to the department in the crusade against tobacco.

Quoting a survey report,the minister said that tobacco accounts for ten per cent of total deaths across the world. If the present trend of 1 billion men and 250 million women consuming tobacco continues,it will claim 10 million lives every year around the globe till 2020.

Delivering a presidential address at a workshop organised by the National Tobacco Control Program at the headquarters of the Punjab Health Systems Corporation (PHSC) in Phase VI in Mohali,Chawla expressed great concern over the increasing menace of drug addiction in the state and underlined the need for a concerted joint effort from all quarters to curb this menace.

The minister directed the civil surgeons to spread awareness about ill-effects and irreparable losses caused by the consumption of tobacco and install boards about prohibition on tobacco consumption in public areas. Till March 2011,as many as 2,115 persons have been fined Rs 2.09 lakh for violating the provisions of Tobacco Control Act,2003.

Principal Secretary,Health and Family Welfare,Satish Chandra and Health Services director,Ashok Nayyar also addressed the workshop,which was attended by the district health officers and social activists from across the state.

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