New Delhi: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) Friday demanded displaying of pictorial warning messages on erectile dysfunction and early ageing on tobacco products.
Citing a survey, which found that young men feared erectile dysfunction and early ageing due to tobacco products most, the Association called for strong warnings on the cover of these products.
"IMA advocates for increasing the size of the pictorial warnings on tobacco products. Besides the cancer warnings, the government should also include pictorial warning messages about early ageing and erectile dysfunction," said Dr A Marthanda Pillai, national president, IMA, and Dr K K Aggarwal, secretary general of IMA, and president of HCFI.
The survey conducted by IMA and Heart Care Foundation of India (HCFI) found that the two most important aspects that youth fear about tobacco usage are "tobacco products can lead to erectile dysfunction in men" and "tobacco consumption can lead to early ageing".
Dr Aggarwal further said that they support increase in taxes on tobacco products and hailed the order of governments in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh that banned complete use of nicotine under the provisions of Poison Act of 1919 and Poison (Possession and Sale) Rules of 2015.
"These three states have placed nicotine in the category of poison. IMA wants this to be implemented in all other states and Union Territories too," he said.
IMA has written to the Health Minister demanding this ban at national level also.
IMA will also be training all general practitioners in tobacco cessation so that quit-tobacco facilities are available to those who want to stop the habit.
It has already advised its 2.5 lakh members to ask enquire with their patients their smoking habits and offer help in quitting.
