New
Delhi, A delegation led by former Health Minister of Bihar, now Member of Parliament
Ashwini Choubey met the President Shri Ram Nath Kovind with senior cancer
surgeons and Sambandh Health Foundation (SHF) team yesterday. They requested
his support in protecting children from addiction, especially, tobacco. The
President agreed that this is a serious issue and we all need to get involved
in this. He felt that just awareness is not sufficient, a national campaign has
to be mounted which should be led by the youth themselves.
Ashwini Choubey informed the
President that while he was Health Minister of Bihar he worked on tobacco
control with Voice of Tobacco Victims and Sambandh Health Foundation and got
good outcomes in Bihar. His view was that for Public Health it is essential to
protect our youth from tobacco use.
Trustee of Sambandh Health
Foundation’s (SHF) Sanjay Seth shared with the President that as per Global
Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS-2) 2017, there are 26.7 crore (28.6%) adult (15+)
tobacco users in India. Everyday 5500 children initiate tobacco use in the
country and most of them become lifelong addicts. This is extremely worrisome. As
per GATS-II, 92.8% people are aware of harms of smoking. Seth added that only
3% are able to quit. Prevention is a far better strategy than trying to get
people to quit tobacco habit. It is, thus, necessary that we provide safe
environment to children in schools and colleges by making them tobacco free.
Dr Harit Chaturvedi, Chairman
Max Oncology and Dr Vedant Kabra, Director Fortis Hospital talked about how
tobacco is impacting all parts of the body. Diseases caused by tobacco such as
cancer, cardiovascular and pulmonary not only impact the patient but the entire
family is destroyed in getting these treated. They pointed that 40-50% of
cancers and 90% of oral cancers are caused due to tobacco consumption. Hence,
if tobacco use can be reduced these cancers can be prevented.
The Delegation included
Ashima Sarin, Director Sambandh Health Foundation; Vibhor Nijhawan, Aviral
Choubey and Aparmeet Singh. Attached is the photo of delegation with the
Hon’ble President.
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