Team Herald
PANJIM: In the wake of Coronavirus pandemic, the National Organisation for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE) has appealed Central Government to ban production and sale of tobacco products, as one of the steps to prevent spread of COVID-19.
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In a press statement issued on Tuesday, NOTE secretary Dr Shekhar Salkar said that spitting of smokeless tobacco, pan masala and the like products, in public place cause spread of infectious diseases dangerous to life such as tuberculosis, hepatitis, influenza, swine flu, pneumonia, gastro-intestinal diseases, Coronavirus (COVID-19) and other persistent infectious diseases which take a huge toll on life.
Salkar has said that Goa government, in exercise of powers conferred under Section 2 of the Epidemics Diseases Act 1897, has framed the Goa Epidemic Disease COVID-19 Regulations for prevention and the spread of dangerous epidemic diseases.
“To prevent the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) and other infectious diseases dangerous to life, it is expedient in the interest of public health to prohibit production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale, distribution, storage, advertisement and use of smokeless tobacco, pan masala and the like products which induce or encourage spitting or its use in the State of Goa under section 2 of the Epidemics Diseases Act 1897,” he said.
Goa has reported seven positive cases of COVID19, so far.
