365telugu.com,online news, Hyderabad: 31st,May 2020: Etela Rajender said that Telangana is ahead of many states in implementing tobacco control initiatives. We observe that many people suffer from various types of cancer due to addiction to tobacco. We feel painful to notice that many especially women and people in public places are suffering from second hand smoking. Health minister suggested youth to shun the tobacco usage habit. He conveyed his best wishes to youth on account of World No Tobacco day on 31st May 2020 and explained about the tobacco control initiatives implemented in Telangana state. Tobacco addiction is causing great economic and health burden to the public. Telangana state is actively implementing COTPA act to reduce the economic and disease burden caused by tobacco addiction. Telangana state is very strictly enforcing the act to curb smoking in public places and near educational institutions. Telangana state is very firm in controlling the sale of ganja, gutkha and other narcotics. Already an act is in place prohibiting the sale of Gutkha, paan masala etc. He said that government makes acts/law to safeguard the health of the public. But public also must take care of themselves by keeping the bad habits away. He stated that human life is very valuable and one must have the discipline to safe guard themselves from bad habits. All the key government stake holder departments in Telangana state are functioning with great coordination to implement tobacco control initiatives. District collector at district level and Chief Secretary at the state level are monitoring the tobacco control initiatives. Health Minister mentioned that police are playing an important role in enforcing COTPA and appreciated the police department for conducting regular enforcement drives.
He mentioned that all the doctors, nurses, other staff in health department and voluntary organizations are playing an important role in creating awareness among public not to spit tobacco products in public places to control the spread of Corona infection. Police are also playing an important role in controlling the spread of Corona infection by conducting enforcement drives on spitting in public places. He expressed that in near future Telangana state would become tobacco free and becomes a healthy state.He mentioned that Telangana is the first state to ban spitting tobacco products in public places.
Message to youth : Health Minister mentioned that these days no one is following the concept of joint families and hence there is no elderly person like grandparents to teach the discretion between good and bad. These days we hardly find joint families good books with moral values and ethics. Modern life style is set in and both parents are very busy with their work. Younger generation got fully addicted to smart phones. Children, especially youth are getting addicted to bad habits as there is no one to monitor their activity. The future and quality of life in any nation depends on the health of younger generation.Hence youth must not get addicted to tobacco usage. Health minister quoted an example of a Swan which can separate water and milk. He advised youth to behave like a Swan in getting rid of bad and get in to the habit of doing well. He advised the youth not to get addicted to smoking, chewing gutkha etc by seeing the advertisements telecasted in mobiles and social media. He wished that youth would have a fruitful life and not to cause any loss to them, their family and to the state and nation they belong to.Health minister also explained about a very important public health programme successfully implemented in Telangana state i.e Basti Davvakhaana. The main aim of this programme is to provide quality of health to the poor of Hyderabad city for free of cost. Presently there are 122 Basti Davakhaana are operating. 44 clinics have been in operation recently. In total 166 Basti Davakhaana are operation for the poor people of Hyderabad.Telangana Government has come a long way in controlling the use of tobacco. There are efforts being made by the Health Department, Telangana Government to generate awareness and build capacity of the public place managers, enforcement officials, sensitize media and generate awareness among common people on tobacco control issues. “Telangana Government has demonstrated tremendous commitment towards safe guarding the health of people of India and protecting the masses, especially the youth from the growing menace of tobacco addiction. This praise worthy step will go a long way in saving lakhs of lives and also reducing the Government spending on treating tobacco related diseases, Bhavna B Mukhopadhyay, Chief Executive Voluntary Health Association of India.