Don’t give in to tobacco lobby, Tata Hospital doctor tells CM

Letter seeks cancellation of licence if shops are found selling tobacco products

Mumbai: A head and neck surgeon from Tata Memorial Hospital has urged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis not to succumb to the pressure of the tobacco lobby. Dr. Pankaj Chaturvedi, an anti-tobacco activist, in his letter, has also appealed to the CM to ban the sale of tobacco to minors and allow its sale only through licensed vendors.

Dr. Chaturvedi said tobacco shops are mushrooming and freely available to the future generation. “The public health community was thrilled to know that the Maharashtra government is planning to make sale of gutkha a non-bailable offence. Recently, the government issued a notification banning sale of tobacco at shops selling chocolates and candies. However, I bring to your notice that the tobacco lobby will do everything to subvert this pro-public step. Please do not succumb to their pressure,” Dr. Chaturvedi wrote in his letter sent to Mr. Fadnavis on Saturday.

Early this year, the State had announced that general stores selling chips, biscuits, and chocolates cannot sell tobacco products. Officials from the Food and Drug Administration said such shops are frequented by minors and youngsters, who have easy access to such products.

But the move has definitely not gone down well with tobacco companies. “It has come to our notice that almost all outlets in Mumbai are trading in tobacco products in violation of the Cigarettes and other Tobacco products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulations of Trade and Commerce Production, Supply and Distribution) Act 2003 and Rules, Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and Regulations, and the Legal Metrology Act, thereby causing danger to our kids,” he said.

The tobacco lobby, Dr. Chaturvedi said, targets kids and youth as their new consumers. “They strategically aim to lure kids into this deadly addiction,” he said, and requested the government to take stringent action like cancellation of licence of shops found selling tobacco products.