Thiruvananthapuram: The Mass Communication and Journalism (MCJ) students of Kerala University here gave a thumbs-up to tobacco free higher education centres with a strong commitment to make their campus tobacco free.
The decision was made at the valedictory ceremony of a recent workshop on ‘Media as Partners in Tobacco Control in Kerala’ here, hosted jointly by the Communication Club of the MCJ Department here and Tobacco Free Kerala.
Former Additional Director of Health Services (Public Health) and former Nodal Officer of Tobacco Control Dr A S Pradeep Kumar pointed out that smokers constituted 14 per cent of the adult population in the state, and “they are harming the health of the remaining 86 per cent non-smokers.”
“While people suggest that tobacco sales bring revenue to the Government, the truth is that as against Rs 17,765 crores generated as tobacco taxes, India incurs a loss of over Rs 1 lakh crore by way of economic burden borne from tobacco-related ailments,” he said.
“In the 20th century, the global mortality figures from tobacco use were 100 million; this century the figures are projected to touch 1 billion,” a release said quoting him.