Saving million lives with one stroke

Saving million lives with one stroke

Saving million lives with one stroke
Hemant Goswami

Dr. Ambumani Ramadoss deserves full marks for audaciously coming out with law to put an end to glamorization of tobacco in movies. The results of this move shall be visible and quantifiable in ten to fifteen years. Some people are crying foul, as is expected of any good action. (In a dictatorship any dictator will call foul if you restore democracy.) But then, making the world a better place can’t depend on applause. If you wait for the cheer then many a things which must be done will never get done.

What is the significance of this action? Will it actually result in reduction of tobacco consumption and thereby tobacco caused deaths? Will it look aesthetic when a scroll saying “Smoking Kills” comes along when any movie star lights a cigarette? Is it not a transgression on freedom of expression? Is the cigarette not an important tool to highlight certain expressions and emotions? These are some of the questions which are echoed by some ignorant but famous film personalities as well as some media people.

Let’s see who these people are. We can segmentize them into three groups; first: those having affiliation with tobacco companies (we have been told by some of our friends in the marketing division of some big newspapers that there have been recent commitments by leading tobacco companies to give advertisements worth considerable amounts of their other non-tobacco products – in return – they are influencing negative articles against the recent promulgation on new tobacco control rules by the Ministry of Health with an intend to dilute the action. There are also instances of paid articles.) Second: People who themselves consume tobacco products and see it as a part of their routine. These people see nothing wrong in it and wouldn’t mind even if there children/dear one’s smoke or consume tobacco. (Includes people in the filmdom and media) Third: People who are driven by false propaganda by people of the first and second category and who are themselves ignorant about the effect and consequences of tobacco consumption and the result of its glamorization over the media.