No Tobacco Day: Make tobacco control laws stricter, MPs urge PM Modi, Health Minister Mandaviya

In Pune, short films will be screened with the message “Don’t get tempted”. NGO Dalit Mahila Vikas Mandal launched a campaign to collect at least 5,000 signatures against tobacco use.

Written by: Anuradha Mascarenhas

3 min readPuneUpdated: Jun 1, 2023 03:55 AM IST

Pune Rajya Sabha MP Vandana Chavan at the signature campaign launch (Express)

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No Tobacco Day: Make tobacco control laws stricter, MPs urge PM Modi, Health Minister Mandaviya

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From an ongoing signature campaign to screening short films and awareness talks, a series of events are being held in Pune Wednesday to observe World No Tobacco Day (May 31). Meanwhile, MPs have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya seeking to make tobacco control laws stricter.

“Don’t get tempted” is the key message relayed by doctors and volunteers of the Prevent Addiction Through Children’s Education (PACE) group. Three short films — Dhuva dhuva, Second Love and Titali — will be screened at the National Film Archive of India (NFAI).

The aim is to catch them young and instil in them a long-standing habit of staying away from addictions – be it smoking, alcohol, or drugs, said Dr Nitin Abhyankar, noted pulmonologist and one of the trustees of PACE.

PACE president Dr Vandana Joshi said the group has reached out to more than 4.5 lakh students in the last 10 years. “Presently, we are working in 10 districts and now want to expand to all 26 districts,” said Avinash Chabukswar, another trustee with PACE.

Pune’s Rajya Sabha MP Vandana Chavan was among the first to endorse the ongoing signature campaign launched by the NGO Dalit Mahila Vikas Mandal. Five other parliamentarians — Amol Kolhe, Lok Sabha MP from Shirur; Supriya Sule, Lok Sabha MP from Baramati; Shriniwas Patil, Lok Sabha MP from Satara; Pritam Munde, Lok Sabha MP from Beed and Ranjit Naik-Nimbalkar, Lok Sabha MP from Madha — have sent letters to PM Modi and Health Minister Mandaviya to introduce the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Product Act (COTPA) Amendment Bill, 2020, in the forthcoming session of Parliament.

“Strengthening COTPA would entail a ban on the sale of tobacco products to youngsters below 21 years and not allowing the retail sale of loose cigarette sticks,” said advocate Varsha Deshpande, secretary of the Dalit Mahila Vikas Mandal. While the signature campaign was launched in Pune, Deshpande added that at least 5,000 signatures would be collected across Maharashtra.

An awareness talk by P.A.C.E for schoolchildren on refraining from tobacco addiction (Express)

A major risk factor for non-communicable diseases, tobacco use causes 8 million deaths worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In India, tobacco-related cancers accounted for 27 per cent of the country’s cancer burden in 2020, according to Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

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A recent survey by LocalCircles, a community social media platform, from April 1-May 25, also indicated one in six families have one or more immediate family members who are chewing gutkha and other chewable tobacco products. Despite the increasing burden and awareness about side effects, most adults continue to consume tobacco products, said Sudha Desai, general physician at Ruby Hall Clinic.

“Implementing taxes on tobacco is an effective way to reduce the use apart from educating and creating awareness about the ill effects of tobacco consumption,” Dr Desai said.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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