The Indian Dental Association (IDA) and Karnataka Association of Community Health (KACH) have written to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah urging him to take a call on imposing a ban on chewing tobacco.
The IDA and KACH have described the Cabinet deferring the decision on the issue of ban on chewing tobacco as a serious setback for the State in the field of preventive health care. In the letter addressed to Siddaramaiah, Law Minister T B Jayachandra, Health and Family Welfare Minister U T Khader and Chief Secretary Kaushik Mukherjee, the two associations have said chewing tobacco was one of the leading causes for ailments.
“The government needs to have an unbiased view. We would like to reiterate that the prevalence of chewing tobacco is higher among the economically poorer sections and women,” said Dr M L V Prabhuji, State president, IDA Karnataka.
Published 20 November 2014, 20:20 IST