PUDUCHERRY: An action plan on tobacco control was proposed by JIPMER in collaboration with Puducherry Health Department, the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (IUATLD), New Delhi, for strengthening tobacco control activities with the involvement of various government sectors and civil society.
This was disclosed at a five-day workshop held here that began on June 29 and ended on Friday.
According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (2009-10), Puducherry recorded a prevalence of 15 per cent current tobacco users (smoker and smokeless). In Puducherry, 6 per cent of adults aged 15 years and above are current users of smokeless tobacco products like chewing betel and other oral tobacco products. Around 27 per cent of people who visited public places in the last 30 days were exposed to second-hand smoke. The age of initiation to tobacco is 18 years in Puducherry, which is the same as the national figure.
Cyril Alexander, national convener of the National Forum for Tobacco Eradication (NFTE) explained about the mobile phone app ‘Tobacco Monitor’ that was launched as part of World No Tobacco Day 2015.