By IANS,
New Delhi : The government Tuesday said imposing a ban on tobacco cannot check the increasing number of users in the country, and called for providing alternative job opportunities to tobacco growers so that the production comes down.
“I am strictly against any kind of ban on tobacco,” Minister of State for Health Dinesh Trivedi said while addressing a workshop on tobacco control here.
“We should look forward to provide some lucrative job solutions to people involved in the business so that they can switch to other means of earning,” he added.
India is committed to bringing down tobacco production as per the provisions of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), Trivedi said.
The FCTC is a treaty among world nations, negotiated under the auspices of the World Health Organisation, which seeks to curb the tobacco threat.
He further outlined various initiatives of the health ministry to control tobacco consumption, which kills about nine lakh people every year in the country.
“India has enacted comprehensive legislations to curb smoking. In order to provide economically viable activity to various stake holders, the health ministry is collaborating with various organisations,” Trivedi said.
The minister also launched a TV campaign “Surgeon” showcasing effects of tobacco consumption.