Mysore/Mysuru: To make Mysuru a tobacco-free city within 1,000 days, leading Oncologist Dr. B.S. Ajaikumar, Founder and Chairman of HealthCare Global Enterprises Ltd., and Bharath Hospital & Institute of Oncology (BHIO), called for urgent and sustained action combining strict enforcement, public participation and long-term health planning.

Chairing the panel discussion on “Smoke-Free Mysuru, Healthy Mysuru,” organised by BHIO, International Human Development and Upliftment Academy (IHDUA) and Antardhavani at BHIO auditorium in city recently, he stressed that laws alone are not enough unless they are implemented consistently and visibly.

He said, “Eliminating tobacco can prevent nearly 40% of health issues” noting that it causes around 2.3 million deaths annually in India and over 8 million globally.

Dr. Ajaikumar emphasised that enforcement must be strengthened through regular inspections, strict penalties and accessible public complaint systems.

Beyond tobacco control, he advocated a holistic urban health approach — promoting walkable streets, cycling infrastructure, green spaces and continuous public awareness campaigns.

Highlighting BHIO’s commitment, he announced key initiatives, including cancer screening camps in urban slums in collaboration with authorities, real-time Air Quality Index monitoring and a five-year roadmap to improve Mysuru’s public health. 

Senior Radiation Oncologist Dr. Vinaykumar Muttagi also spoke. Former CFTRI Director Dr. V. Prakash called for a “Quit Tobacco” movement, while farmers’ leader Manju Kiran stated that a tobacco farmer’s intention is never to harm society and they choose this crop because it provides a reliable, fixed income.

Enforcement Officer S. Gopinath said strict action under tobacco laws, with monthly penalties ranging from Rs. 1.5 lakh to Rs. 2 lakh should be collected from violators. Cancer survivors Mahadev and Nagaraj called upon the people to never use tobacco.

Former Deputy Mayor Pushpavalli, senior journalists Laiqh Khan and C.J. Rajeeva also gave valuable inputs.

Gowtham Dhamerla (COO, BHIO), Antardhwani Chief Mission Officers Rahul Nandan and S. Seethalakshmi and IHDUA Programme Head N. Madhu were present.