THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Health Minister KK Shylaja said the government will float a plan to make the state a tobacco-free one. According to her, institutions which come under the Health and AYUSH Departments will be made free from tobacco and initiatives in this regard will begin soon.
Meanwhile, the Minister added the rising cases of use of tobacco products among Adivasis and children are a matter of concern and hinted at the possibility of launching a campaign among them. She was speaking while inaugurating the state-level observation of World No Tobacco Day at Achutha Menon Centre for Health Science Studies (AMCHSS) of Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), here on Thursday.
“Even though we were thinking about making the state a tobacco-free one, we can’t overlook beedi workers,” said Shylaja. “The government will give serious thought to rehabilitating them before moving forward with the idea. It is high time beedi workers are introduced to new vocations.”Earlier the Minister, while it is a big relief that the adult population of the state is shedding the habit, as highlighted in the second edition of the Global Adult Tobacco Survey report, the marginal increase of tobacco use among children and Adivasis, needs to be addressed.
“While children are using smokeless tobacco, Adivasis were using chewable tobacco. This warrants a comprehensive campaign among these two groups. The government is not of the view that only prohibition could bring in results. Our view is that abstinence is the key,” said Shylaja. She also said, as part of the Ardram Mission, special anti-tobacco clinics will be set up at family health centres, and district and general hospitals.
Talking on the occasion, Thiruvananthapuram Regional Cancer Care Centre director Paul Sebastian said if policy makers want to make the state a tobacco-free one, it should focus more on upper-primary students as the young generation could be sensitised about the harmful effects of using tobacco and thereby stop them from using it.The event was attended by SCTIMST director Asha Kishore, AMCHSS director V Ramankutty, cricketer Sanju V Samson and others.