VIJAYAWADA: The Health Department has urged all government departments to refrain from accepting sponsorships, displaying advertisements, or using symbols with tobacco manufacturers. It directed that no sports, cultural, or public events be conducted in collaboration with tobacco companies.
The department emphasised that these measures are part of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s national strategy to curb tobacco consumption and prevent industry influence on public institutions. An awareness workshop was organised in Vijayawada on Wednesday to sensitise officials from various departments, including Police, Panchayat Raj, Tourism, Women and Child Welfare, Tribal Welfare, and Education, on the implementation of tobacco control measures.
Speaking at the workshop, Dr Amit Yadav and Dr Shivankapur of Vital Strategies, an organisation working with the central government, highlighted the alarming health toll of tobacco use. “India ranks 43rd globally in the impact of the tobacco industry on public health, with nearly 1.3 million deaths annually due to tobacco-related diseases such as oral and lung cancers,” they said. They said 28% of India’s population continues to use tobacco in some form, necessitating strict preventive action.
The experts stressed the need for effective enforcement of Article 5.3 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), developed by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which prohibits government partnerships with tobacco entities.