‘Stay away from tobacco products’

BHUBANESWAR: On the eve of the World No Tobacco Day on Sunday, experts and anti-tobacco activists appealed to people to refrain from consuming tobacco and tobacco products citing their ill-effects in the long run.
Lalatendu Sarangi, director, Acharya Harihar Post graduate Institute of Cancer, Cuttack, said tobacco products were the major contributors of cancer and other lifestyle diseases in the state. “If people stop consuming tobacco products, about 50% of the cancer cases can be prevented. So prevention is better than cure,” he added.
Cautioning the youth against the dangers of taking tobacco, he reiterated, “If anybody chews tobacco, he/she may get oral cancer and esophageal cancer. Tobacco affects every organ in one form or the other.”
“Earlier, people would develop cancer after chewing tobacco for anything between 10 and 15 years, but these days youngsters are getting cancer within four to six years of consuming smokeless tobacco. It is high time we stop it at the source,” Sarangi further said.
The state government has imposed a ban on the manufacture, storage, sale and distribution of gutkha and pan masala containing tobacco or nicotine since January 3, 2013. The then health minister had assured that the government would implement the regulations, but largely remains on paper
Activists alleged that many shops openly flout the ban order and sell gutkha and pan masala. They demanded stringent action against the sellers and manufacturers of these products. .
Padma Charan Nayak, noted prohibitionist and anti-tobacco campaigner, said the state government should ensure the implementation of the ban and police should conduct raids and impose fines on the manufacturers and sellers across the state.
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