NGO organises awareness camp to mark World No Tobacco Day

Apart from that,this year,the need to ban all tobacco advertising,promotion and sponsorship by nearly 170 parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control,in accordance with their constitutional principles,will be highlighted.

Women comprise nearly 20 per cent of world’s more than one billion smokers. The menace,however,is increasing in some countries. Women are the new target of tobacco industry,as nearly half of the current users will die prematurely from tobacco-related diseases.

The new WHO report,Women and health: Today’s evidence,tomorrow’s agenda,points to evidence that tobacco advertising increasingly targets girls. Data from 151 countries showed that about seven per cent of adolescent girls smoke cigarettes,as opposed to twelve per cent of adolescent boys. In some countries,almost as many girls smoke as boys.

Although the World No Tobacco Day 2010 campaign will focus on tobacco marketing to women,it will also take into account the need to protect boys and men from the tobacco companies’ tactics. Dr Naresh Bansal,a psychiatrist,said,“Tobacco use could kill one billion people in this century. Recognising the importance of reducing tobacco use among women,and acting upon that recognition would save many lives.

Gurinder Chahal,president of the association,made a special mention of the rising problem of tobacco abuse among schoolchildren in forms of zarda,cigarettes,paan masala and the latest fad of hukka. He advised the youths to not get lured by misleading advertisements and peer pressure.