Chennai

PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss on Saturday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to introduce a law banning the sale of cigarettes and tobacco products to people born on or after January 1, 2009.

 He said the move would help create a smoke-free generation in India and protect young people from tobacco addiction.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, Anbumani said tobacco use continues to pose a serious public health threat across the country. The former Union Health Minister stated that millions of Indians, especially youth, are affected by smoking and other tobacco-related habits.

Citing global health estimates, he said around 267 million Indians currently use tobacco products, which means nearly one in every five citizens is affected. According to him, tobacco consumption directly causes more than 1.35 million deaths every year, while exposure to second-hand smoke increases the annual death toll to nearly 2.3 million.

Anbumani pointed out that tobacco is one of the leading causes of cancer and several non-communicable diseases, including heart problems and chronic respiratory illnesses. He claimed tobacco-related cancers alone account for over 4.7 lakh deaths annually in India and contribute to nearly half of all cancer cases reported in the country.

The PMK leader urged the Union government to consider introducing a law similar to the United Kingdom’s proposed tobacco policy. He said a generational ban would gradually eliminate tobacco use in India and significantly improve public health in future decades.