Soon, tobacco de-addiction centres in state-run hospitals: Minister

Maharashtra's Health Minister Deepak Sawant on Tuesday said that de-addiction centres will be set up in all the government-run hospitals in the state.

He also sought proposals from the hospitals on the issue.

Speaking on the eve of World No Tobacco Day, Sawant said: "Government is ready to join hands with pioneer private Institutes like Asian Cancer Institute for reducing tobacco consumption and creating awareness about tobacco de-addiction."

The Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) India report says smoking kills over 1 million people in the country annually. The economic burden of tobacco consumption is around Rs 1,04,500 crore per annum.

Sawant met a delegation of doctors at the state secretariat.

Present on the occasion, Ramakant Deshpande, Oncologist and executive chairman of the Asian Cancer Institute, said : "The earlier a person quits tobacco, the greater are the health benefits. It is a fact that lung function increases by up to 30 percent within two weeks to three months after a person gives up smoking."

--IANS

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