Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Fatal attraction

Sir, — Your Editorial, `Stop smoking on screen' ( June 12 ), highlighting the pernicious attraction to the deadly habit among the teenagers, who have great veneration for silver-screen heroes, is a matter of paramount importance to the health of the nation. It is an attempt by the tobacco giants to hoodwink the teens to achieve their objective of appreciable growth of the industry. Strangely, even the picture of the cigarette packet held by the stars is advertised.

What is most surprising is that cigarettes are still well advertised through the print media and outdoor advertising. Tobacco giants are deceiving the Centre, selling large quantity of apparels and greeting cards, incorporating cigarette names and monograms, without the statutory warning. Most surprisingly, the deadly weed was not taxed in the last two Central budgets, resulting in rapid growth.

Arcot Easwaran,
Chennai

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