Tobacco control steps sought

The Consortium for Tobacco-Free Karnataka (CFTFK) has urged major political parties to include tobacco-control measures in their poll manifestos.

Dr Vishal Rao, cancer surgeon and member of the consortium, submitted the memorandum to Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee vice-president B L Shankar, BJP MLA S Suresh Kumar and JD(S) MLC and spokesperson Ramesh Babu, urging them to include in their manifestos policies and programmes that will lead to the prevention of tobacco-related diseases.

Among the major suggestions in the memorandum are a complete ban on the sale of drugs and tobacco products near educational institutions, rehabilitation of tobacco farmers, and public awareness on the harmful effects of tobacco.