The Centre is formulating a smokeless tobacco specific policy. Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said in Chandigarh that so far the Health Ministry's anti-tobacco programmes revolved around cigarettes but there is another monster as 26 per cent of the population is using smokeless tobacco with potential to create cancer. He said, it is shocking that out of total 35 per cent population using tobacco, 26 per cent are consuming smokeless tobacco.Azad informed that eighty per cent of oral cancer is a result of chewing tobacco. He said only nine per cent of the population is smoking cigarettes and bidi.The Union minister also said the thrust of the Health Ministry is to produce more MBBS doctors and bring sweeping changes in the Medical Council of India.
News On AIR | January 18, 2011 9:07 AM
Centre formulating smokeless tobacco specific policy says Health Minister