Gone in a Puff

Follow us:WhatsappFacebookTwitterTelegram.cls-1{fill:#4d4d4d;}.cls-2{fill:#fff;}Google NewsAfter attending the first national tobacco control conference, my stand on the government interference on depiction of smoking in films, changed to a certain extent. Earlier I looked at the tobacco ban as trampling upon a filmmaker's creativity. But my interaction with people who have seen their near and dear ones fade before their eyes after they were diagnosed with lung cancer, (some of them took to the cigarette because they thought they looked cool enough like their celluoid hero)made me do a reality check.

Statistics speak volumes, 200 people die in a day due to cardiovascular diseases, 8 lakhs die due to lung cancer, and
by 2010 over a billion would have died due to diseases caused by tobacco consumption.And this is completely avoidable.

Most of us look at filmstars, emulate them to a certain extent. Some people try to dance like them, dress like them, etc.When glamourous figures smoke on screen, it sends a message to people, and some impressionable minds particularly children and youngsters think it is justifiable to copy every action of the star because their idol can do no wrong. And India has the dubious distinction of having around 56% of smokers trying their first puff copying their favourite filmstar's style of smoking.

Obviously everyone thinks that to control tobacco in India the Tobacco industry must be targetted first and not the film industry. That could take some time and also looks likely that it may never happen, but atleast till then our filmmakers could try to make films that dont unneccessarily glorify smoking. And everytime anyone starts talking about tobacco control, people assume that its preaching and giving unneccessary 'gyaan', it need'nt be like one. Its quite simple Somking Kills. Period. The sooner we get that the longer we all will live!first published:January 27, 2006, 14:31 ISTlast updated:January 27, 2006, 14:31 IST
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