RGUHS students starts Anti-Tobacco campaign

Hundreds of NSS volunteers, members of the public and civil society organizations are collecting cigarettes and cigarettes to urge the central government to amend the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) by promoting excessive smoking in public places.
Speaking after launching the campaign, former MP and retired IPS officer HT Sangliana said, “It has been almost 20 years since the COTPA Act was introduced. For any law to be effective, it must be amended from time to time. Although smoking is restricted in public places, we find that exposing the law to explicit and indirect smoking poses a risk to innocent lives. In the face of a cigarette and beedi collection campaign, we urge the central government to make a significant step towards improving public health by amending COTPA 2003,” he said.
Dr. Ramesh Bilimagga is a renowned cancer expert and president of the Tobacco Free Karnataka Forum, said World Tobacco Free Day 2022 is being celebrated with the slogan “Tobacco: A threat to our environment”.
“All citizens and guilds in Bangalore are urging the central government to approve the Kotpa Amendment Bill 2020 at the forthcoming monsoon session,” he said, adding that cigarettes and beedi bags lying in public places in their neighbourhood should be collected in bags that we supply.
The campaign will conclude at the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) on May 31st as part of World Non-Tobacco Day 2022, where all cigarettes and cigarettes collected during the campaign will be displayed there. At the closing ceremony, MPs are invited to raise their voices in Parliament against excessive smoking in public places and invoke the COTPA Amendment Bill. Members of the public who wish to participate in the campaign can visit www.fshi.in or contact the mobile number 9448034152.