Gogoi for tobacco free North East
The chief minister at a meeting with senior officials of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare emphasized that though legislations on ban of tobacco products and higher taxation were instruments, what would really make an impact was when people themselves understood and voluntarily stayed away from tobacco.
"The key to tobacco control is the core philosophy of prevention is better than cure. We must stress on education on health issues and we must go out to ensure that lives of our children are free from various diseases caused by tobacco," Gogoi said.
The chief minister also promised that he would attend the launch of the 'Campaign for Tobacco Free North East' and be the chief ambassador of the initiative.
He supported the formation of a 'Coalition for Tobacco Free Northeast and said that all states in the region would have to work together to achieve the goal of reducing tobacco abuse and its impact on families.
The Campaign for Tobacco Free Northeast will be launched during a two-day event beginning on February 27 which will include a 'I Said No To Tobacco' walk where over 10,000 youths were expected to take a 'No Tobacco Use' pledge to be administered by the chief minister.
The Northeast states have the highest tobacco consumption with nearly every second man and third woman addicted to tobacco leading to nearly three lakh premature deaths in Assam due to cancer, heart attack, lung diseases and stroke.
The meeting was attended by Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Shakuntala Gamlin.