Sunita Tomar, all of 28 years, succumbed to cancer today. She was the face of the Indian government's anti-tobacco drive. Taking the discomfort caused by the disease seriously, she'd wanted to awaken the society at large about the dangerous consequences of the use of tobacco and willingly agreed to lend her face to the governmental campaign!
Hailing from a small village near Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, she'd picked up the habit of using tobacco regularly when she was 22 years old. Four years later, she was diagnosed with cancer. Her husband is a driver by profession and they've two children. She was being treated in the Tata Memorial hospital at Bombay.
A couple of days back, when she felt an overall weakness engulfing her, she'd requested the doctors to allow her to go back home to be with her children.
Meanwhile, Dilip Gandhi, the chairman of the 'Parliamentary panel on anti-tobacco usage' had begun to hog the limelight for the following:-
(a) He says that there's no concrete evidence to show that tobacco causes cancer.
(b) The BJP Member of Parliament, therefore, writes to the health ministry saying that there was
no need to enhance the size of 'the tobacco warnings' on cigarette packets.
Consequently, Sunita Tomar had appealed on line and through volunteers before sending a letter, signed by 40,000 signatories to the union health minister, against the panel's recommendations.
My take.
I don't think that the advertisements really prevent people from the usage of tobacco, considering the fact that most users open up the packs without sparing time to even give a cursory glance at what's emblazoned on the packet! And a mere warning that "smoking is injurious to health", accompanied by the 'skull and bones', do not make a difference because of the following:-
(a) the habit is picked up by watching the others, especially, the elders and the people that
one adores indulge in it.
(b) the 'macho' image that surrounds the usage, supported by movies and popular fashions.
(c) the habit getting to perform immediate necessities like answering the nature's call or pass
through a difficult situation like say, attending an interview - these being mere psychological
props/silly excuses, notwithstanding!
A sustained education, backed up by highlighting the adverse effects caused by its usage, using effective audiovisual means would be a step in the right direction if we need to eradicate it, as I reckon.
Tailpiece.
RIP, Sunita Tomar! It's sad that your life had been cut short before you could experience its essence. May god give your husband and children the strength to absorb their tremendous loss!!
Hailing from a small village near Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, she'd picked up the habit of using tobacco regularly when she was 22 years old. Four years later, she was diagnosed with cancer. Her husband is a driver by profession and they've two children. She was being treated in the Tata Memorial hospital at Bombay.
A couple of days back, when she felt an overall weakness engulfing her, she'd requested the doctors to allow her to go back home to be with her children.
Meanwhile, Dilip Gandhi, the chairman of the 'Parliamentary panel on anti-tobacco usage' had begun to hog the limelight for the following:-
(a) He says that there's no concrete evidence to show that tobacco causes cancer.
(b) The BJP Member of Parliament, therefore, writes to the health ministry saying that there was
no need to enhance the size of 'the tobacco warnings' on cigarette packets.
Consequently, Sunita Tomar had appealed on line and through volunteers before sending a letter, signed by 40,000 signatories to the union health minister, against the panel's recommendations.
My take.
I don't think that the advertisements really prevent people from the usage of tobacco, considering the fact that most users open up the packs without sparing time to even give a cursory glance at what's emblazoned on the packet! And a mere warning that "smoking is injurious to health", accompanied by the 'skull and bones', do not make a difference because of the following:-
(a) the habit is picked up by watching the others, especially, the elders and the people that
one adores indulge in it.
(b) the 'macho' image that surrounds the usage, supported by movies and popular fashions.
(c) the habit getting to perform immediate necessities like answering the nature's call or pass
through a difficult situation like say, attending an interview - these being mere psychological
props/silly excuses, notwithstanding!
A sustained education, backed up by highlighting the adverse effects caused by its usage, using effective audiovisual means would be a step in the right direction if we need to eradicate it, as I reckon.
Tailpiece.
RIP, Sunita Tomar! It's sad that your life had been cut short before you could experience its essence. May god give your husband and children the strength to absorb their tremendous loss!!
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