Fight tobacco capitalism

?WE ARE Rich and You are Dead,? is the global agenda of the tobacco companies involved in the business of death globally. Carrying this message, an eight-member youth delegation from different cities of the United States arrived in Lucknow to interact with youths involved in the anti-tobacco campaign.

“WE ARE Rich and You are Dead,” is the global agenda of the tobacco companies involved in the business of death globally.

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Carrying this message, an eight-member youth delegation from different cities of the United States arrived in Lucknow to interact with youths involved in the anti-tobacco campaign.

After an interaction with city youths, the delegation met Lucknow Commissioner RK Mittal in the evening and submitted a memorandum for an effective enforcement of the Cigarette and other Tobacco Products Act 2003. They also demanded more tobacco cessation centres.

Senior member of the group, Anna White, who is associated with the global anti-tobacco campaign, said tobacco companies are targeting developing companies like India and China for promotion of their products. These companies should be held responsible for increasing tobacco menace. Their main aim is to make profits alone. Addressing the commissioner, Bobby Ramakant from the Tobacco Kills Campaign said there had been a gross violation of the Tobacco Products Act 2003 in the city. Smoking is shown in the films like Don and Omkara that is banned under the Act.

Holly Aprea, Manager-Youth Advocacy, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids feels that tobacco legislations in India are more stringent if they are implemented strictly, tobacco menace can be removed. “However in US, we don’t have any such legislation but we are trying to work with youths to make them understand the ill effects of tobacco.”

The commissioner interacting with the delegation said condemning and banning tobacco does not help much but public awareness campaigns can play a big role in this. Government can only provide support but tobacco menace would be removed only through social awakening. Denise Della, Tyson Suzuki, Andy Bredt, Lauren Baisden, Nicole Sutton, Sarah Lazare were the other delegation members who were present there along with the Chief of Tobacco Cessation Clinic, Professor Rama Kant.