Tobacco use is a major threat to public health globally & working as spreader tool of Corona Virus: Balbir Singh Sidhu

“Tobacco use is a major threat to public health globally and working as spreader tool to increase the chances of infection of corona virus among the populations. Smokeless tobacco users first of all are prone to deadly diseases and early death, and secondly users have a tendency to spit in public places, and therefore it increases health risks especially by spreading infectious and contagious diseases such as COVID-19. It was disclosed by the Health Minister Mr. Balbir Singh Sidhu on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day.

The Minister said that the use of smokeless tobacco also creates an unhygienic environment which further spreads the diseases. He appealed to all the citizens of the Punjab, not to spit and use tobacco in public places because it also spreads other infectious diseases including COVID-19 & Tuberculosis. Now Rs. 500 penalty will be imposed for spitting in public places.

Mr. Sidhu said that Punjab Government has launched a statewide awareness campaign to highlight the deadly harms of smokeless tobacco use and motivate people to quit especially amidst corona virus outbreak. The evidence-based campaign includes the launch of a pretested Public Service Announcement (PSA) entitled “I Don’t Believe”, which focuses on the health harms that smokeless tobacco users are prone to, and are at a heightened risk for cancer compared to non-users. These cancers can form within five years of regular use. The campaign has been designed  and developed with the technical support of Vital Strategies, a global public health organization.

Underlining the features of statewide awareness campaign, he further said that the 30-second long PSA shows a smokeless tobacco user initially refusing to believe in the health harms caused by tobacco use. Eventually, he is diagnosed with oral cancer and subsequently dies from the disease. Towards the end, the PSA encourages people to quit tobacco use to fight the ongoing COVID pandemic and call the national quit line number (1800-11-2356) or the missed call number (011-22901701) in case they need help to quit smoking. “The Govt. of Punjab has banned smoking /spitting tobacco in public places under section 268, 269 & 278 of Indian Penal code, 1860” he added.

Dr. Nandita Murukutla, Vice President, Global Policy and Research, Policy, Advocacy and Communication, Vital Strategies, said “Hard-hitting mass media campaigns are a powerful tool in tobacco control. We commend the state’s health department on the timely launch of ‘I Don’t Believe’ and promoting the campaign widely across Punjab. By showing the deadly health harms of tobacco use, the campaign will encourage current smokeless tobacco users to quit and deter potential users from starting in the first place.”