Women Campaign Against Tobacco

Source from:  hindu.com Staff Reporter  12/11/2007

Over 200 women members of the Tamil Nadu Tobacco Control Coalition formed a human chain on Dindigul-Tiruchi Main Road in front of St. Joseph's Hospital propagating ill effects of tobacco products among people here on Monday. They demanded that a pictorial warning cautioning health hazards on use of tobacco must be affixed on all tobacco products as directed by the Central Government. Already, the Centre found that tobacco was responsible for over 40 per cent of diseases. "Our aim was to prevent people, particularly youth and women, from using tobacco products for their safe and healthy life." Pictorial warnings Pictorial warnings on tobacco products that will communicate toxic effects were a must as over 35 per cent adults in the country could not read at all. Such health warning message should be accessible to all types of people. Graphic pictorial warnings on cigarette and other tobacco products had reduced the use of tobacco among young people in Thailand and Brazil and prompted chronic smokers to reduce smoking. Pictorial warning would not only educate but also create an awareness and eventually deter people from continuing with this habit, according to Joseph Raj, Coalition's (a non-governmental organisation) south zone organiser. Enditem