District administration to get tough against tobacco ads
Local Self-Government (LSG) bodies in the district are all set to get tough on store owners who display advertisements of tobacco brands and images of tobacco product packs on points of sale. The LSG bodies have decided to strictly impose ban on tobacco advertisements in public places under its limits.
The LSG bodies have taken the step on the basis of a circular received from the Local Self-Government department to take strict measures to implement the ban with the help of the health and police departments and ensure a strict taboo on tobacco advertisements in their limits. The department had issued a circular to all LSG bodies in the state in this regard on June 14, 2013.
By means of this ban, the government aims to bring down the consumption of tobacco among people in the state. The officials will also ensure that the ban on sale of tobacco products and pan masala in areas near schools is enforced without fail. The corporation along with the two municipalities and seventy four grama panchayats in the district will take steps to execute the ban.
An official with the Nodal Office for Tobacco Control in Kerala said the LSG bodies will serve notices to shopkeepers to remove all advertisements at points of sale. "Stringent measures comprising hefty fine and legal action with the help of police will be initiated against shop owners who violate the directions," the official said. "Officers will also check whether the advertisements carry health warnings such as 'Tobacco causes cancer' or 'Tobacco kills' in black with a white back ground so as to be easily visible to the public ," said the official.
According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey for the year 2011-12, one-third of the males population in the state consumes tobacco in some form or the other. The survey revealed that 28% men in Kerala use tobacco products which is higher than the national average of 24%.
Dr T Jayakrishnan, associate professor at the department of community medicine, Kozhikode Medical College said tobacco consumption is on the rise among men and women in Kerala. "Regular consumption of tobacco leads to cancer, hypertension, stroke, impotency and changes in skin. Around 52% of cancers among men in Kerala are caused by consumption of tobacco whereas the rate is 22% among women. Consumption of tobacco or even exposure to it during pregnancy can cause weight loss in the baby," said Dr Jayakrishnan.
ozhikode corporation secretary B K Balaraj said the civic body will serve notices to all shop owners who sell cigarettes and other tobacco products. , asking them to remove the advertisements boards.
"The civic body will serve notices to advertising agencies to ensure they do not provide permission to private parties to put up such billboards in public places. Stringent legal action will be initiated against those who violate the ban," he said.
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