Gutka sale continues

 

Gutka and pan continue to be sold in public places in several pockets of north Chennai, a scene at Chennai beach station.
Chennai: The Cigarettes and Tobacco Control Act, which is in existence since 2003, is yet to be implemented stringently, according to activists in the city.  
The Act, needing co-ordination between various teams, like State Tobacco Control and Chennai Corporation, is yet to be seen in implementation when it comes to deterring smoking in public places.    
Chenn­aites say that though smoking in public places has declined comparatively in the last decade, tobacco, vending outlets near crowded places are the reasons behind the practice continuing. Every bus stand has a shop selling tobacco products, those who are addicted to smoking thus cannot stop themselves.  
"I hope there are some regulations to prevent their sale in such places,” said A. Asha Menon, a homemaker. The busy beach station is a case in point. Use­d by thousands of pa­s­­­se­ngers, people say tha­t they feel hemmed in here by people smoking in public. 
“They occupy the pavements to smoke, at times even blocking the entrance to the station. Passengers who are ave­rse to smoking find this very disconcerting. The officiaIs concerned sho­uld take action to deter smoking in public,” said Arun Raj, a commuter.  
Activists say that official apathy has killed the law altogether. “A majority of men dev­elop lung problems beca­use of smoking. What’s more, it leaves in­n­o­cent people affected. The Act needs to be imp­le­m­ented strictly,” said Cyril Alex­a­nder, anti tobacco activist.   
Tobacco law not followed 
Chennai: The Cigarettes and Tobacco Control Act, which is in existence since 2003, is yet to be implemented stringently, according to activists in the city.  
The Act, needing co-ordination between various teams, like State Tobacco Control and Chennai Corporation, is yet to be seen in implementation when it comes to deterring smoking in public places. Chenn­ai­tes say that though smo­­king in public places has declined tobacco, vending outlets are the reasons why the practice continuing.    
“They occupy the pa­v­e­ments to smoke, at times even bloc­king the entrance to the station. Pa­s­s­engers who are ave­rse to smoking find this very disconcerting. The officiaIs concerned sho­uld take action to deter smoking in public,” said Arun Raj, a co­m­m­uter.  
Meanwhile, a S­t­­a­t­e Toba­cco Control offi­c­ial said, “There nee­ds to be multi depart­men­­tal co-ordination, we ha­ve already removed se­v­e­­r­al banners of tobacco companies.   
Ban gutka production itself, say Anti Tobacco activists 
Chennai: Anti tobacco activists in the state have been urging the Chief Minister to ban paan MASALA?? production in the way that the government curbed the lottery business. They say that the closing of units that produce chewing tobacco will help in the total eradication of these pro­du­cts.  
A ban does not work, they point out, as the loopholes in the system permit consumers access to the product. “It is best to ban all the production units rather than banning the products, because in some way or other the products will be sold in the black market and raiding every corner shop will be a very difficult task,” says Cyril Alexa­nder, bactivist.  
Ac­c­or­ding to food safety depa­rtment officials, “ The gu­t­­ka and paan masala manufacturers claim that they have stopped selling their products in India, but that they are catering to their export market. It becomes a policy decision of the government whether or not to ban gutka manufacturing units.”