Appeal for tobacco ad ban during festival

Mumbai: With over 10,000 Mumbaikars losing their lives this year due to smoking related causes, the Smoke Free Mumbai (SFM) Campaign has launched an anti-tobacco contest during the Ganesh festival to create heightened awareness across the city.

The SFM, a campaign started by Action Council against Tobacco, has joined hands with the central Ganesh Festival Co-ordination Committee which has over 12,000 registered mandals or member associations to ensure that apart from conducting religious activities, the mandals do not put up banners advertising tobacco or cigarettes outside the pandals this year.

Money loss

For the Ganesh mandals that have earned considerable funds through advertising tobacco and related products in the past, this may come as a huge loss of money.

But some of them are willing to lend support to create awareness of the health hazards of tobacco consumption during the 10-day festival starting on September 10.

The rules for the contest include no advertisements of tobacco-related products for 500 metres around the pandal, no sale or usage of tobacco within 500 metres and Ganesh mandals will be required to put up large signboards prohibiting smoking and health hazards.

The criteria for winning the prizes will be judged on theme/decoration of the mandal, presence of tobacco free signage, special tobacco control related activities and absence of direct or surrogate tobacco advertisements.