Mysuru: The consumption of tobacco inducing cancer is on the rise and every year 60 lakh people die in the world and 27,000 people in India, due to tobacco consumption. At least now, people should become alert and give up consuming tobacco, said Principle District and Sessions Judge S.K. Vontigodi.

He was speaking after inaugurating the ‘World Anti-Tobacco Day’ programme, organised jointly by the District Administration, District Health and Family Welfare Department, District Legal Services Authority and Indian Medical Association at Rajendra Bhavan in JSS Hospital premises, here recently.

The consumption of tobacco will have a great impact on a healthy society. Though there is warning on cigarette and gutka packets saying ‘Smoking is injurious to health,’ people addicted to smoking continue to smoke. As a result many are succumbing to cancer. According to a survey in India 27,000 people are dying of cancer and in Karnataka the number is 410 every year. Tobacco consumption also causes heart-related problems. Everyone should join hands to fight for a tobacco-free society, he urged.

When there is so much harm that tobacco causes, why it has not been banned, is a question that one naturally asks. However, it is not possible for the government to ban it completely, he added.

District Legal Services Authority Member-Secretary B.P. Devamane said that people must have a social conscience. All the messages on internet and social media need not necessarily be true. People should have the sense to find out the truth and check for facts. Just because one bags ranks in schools and colleges does not mean that one’s knowledge has improved. We can see many people who bag ranks in foreign countries working on daily wages, he said.

If tobacco consumption is banned then there is a danger of using other drugs. Already ganja consumption has gone up, he said.

District Vector Borne Diseases Control and Food Control Officer Dr. C. Chidambara, District Surveillance Officer Dr. Kusuma, Indian Medical Association Mysore Branch President Dr. Suresh Rudrappa, District Surgeon Dr. Lakshman, Anti-Tobacco Forum Convenor Vasanthkumar Mysoremath and others were present.

Jatha: Earlier, Principle District and Sessions Judge S.K. Vontigodi flagged off a tobacco-free jatha in front of Kote Anjaneyaswamy temple. The students of various Nursing Colleges took out a march holding placards with slogans about the effects of tobacco usage. The jatha passed through Hardinge Circle, Mysuru-Nilgiri Road, Gun House Circle and reached the JSS Hospital premises. Additional Deputy Commissioner G. Anuradha and others were present.