GUWAHATI: Consumers’ Legal Protection Forum, Assam has appealed to the state government to ban use and spitting of smokeless tobacco products in public places.
The forum submitted letters to the chief minister, health minister and chief secretary in this regard on Saturday, while referring to the letter of Pradip Kumar Pal, under secretary to the ministry of health and family welfare (tobacco control division), to the chief secretaries of all States and Union Territories on Friday.
“In view of the increasing danger of COVID-19 pandemic, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has appealed to the general public to refrain from consuming the smokeless tobacco products and spitting in public places during the COVID epidemic. In the letter, Pradip Kumar Pal clearly mentions that the state/UT governments have necessary authority under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, the Disaster Management Act, 2005 and also under various provisions of Indian Penal Code 1860 and Code of Criminal Procedure to deal with Covid-19,” forum secretary, Ajoy Hazarika stated in the letters to the state government.
In his letter to the chief secretaries, Pal said, “ICMR has issued an appeal to the general public not to consume and spit smokeless tobacco in public’. Chewing smokeless tobacco products, paan masala and areca nut (supari) increases the production of saliva followed by a very strong urge to spit. Spitting in public places could enhance the spread of the COVID19 virus”.
He further instructed the states/UT to take necessary preventive measures under the appropriate law to prohibit the use and spitting of chewing smokeless tobacco products in public.
“In the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Chandigarh, Thane in Maharashtra, Dumka district in Jharkhand have already banned use and sale of tobacco products and spitting in public places. So it’s now the Assam government’s turn to prohibit the use and spitting of smokeless tobacco products in public places at the earliest,” Hazarika stated.