Though several national health survey have shown that tobacco is the cause of several chronic ailments including cancer, lung disorders, and cardiovascular issues leading to deaths but unprecedented rise in tobacco smoking despite showing 3% dip in recent health survey is in no way a less bigger challenge than many states and union territories of the country. Recent health survey also show that while Gujrat and Himachal Pradesh are only two states of the country where tobacco smoking ranges from Zero to 1.5 % , the no of tobacco addicts is yet to come down below 10% in Jammu & Kashmir . While Government in Jammu & Kashmir talks much about tobacco control measures it does very little to enforce them at public places. Unfortunately people themselves also contribute to spread the tobacco smoking menace by hearing much about the ills of tobacco smoking from the health experts but do virtually nothing to curb it’s spread at public places. Though onus of curbing the tobacco smoking lies surely on the Government but unless and until people don’t take proactive role in ant-tobacco awareness campaigns launched either by the Government or civil society groups and religious preachers from time to time the rise in the spread of tobacco menace can’t be controlled by any intervention from the Government or the social and religious pressure groups. Experiences not only in Jammu & Kashmir but in most of the states and union territories of the country have shown that low intensity public consciousness raises the intensity of the spread of tobacco smoking and similarly public consciousness of bigger intensity reduces spread of tobacco smoking.
“Tobacco control centres if established at the offices of Deputy Commissioners and District Police Offices for the purposes of the enforcement of tobacco control measures would most probably reduce the increasing intensity of tobacco smoking at public places across Jammu & Kashmir. However no government or social and religious intervention would show any decline in tobacco smoking at public places unless and until partnerships among government agencies, healthcare providers, civil society religious preachers are not forged for the purposes of controlling the spread of tobacco smoking at public places ,i.e, markets, schools, hospitals, airports and railway stations”.
Since very little progress has been noticed in tobacco control measures enforced by the Jammu & Kashmir Government in recent years, the rising trends and tendencies of tobacco smoking among youth at public places necessitates the intervention of both the Government and as well as civil society and religious groups in both Kashmir valley and as well as Jammu division. Tobacco control centres if established at the offices of Deputy Commissioners and District Police Offices for the purposes of the enforcement of tobacco control measures would most probably reduce the increasing intensity of tobacco smoking at public places across Jammu & Kashmir. However no government or social and religious intervention would show any decline in tobacco smoking at public places unless and until partnerships among government agencies, healthcare providers, civil society religious preachers are not forged for the purposes of controlling the spread of tobacco smoking at public places ,i.e, markets, schools, hospitals, airports and railway stations.
