Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh is set to kickstart a tobacco awareness campaign to help addicts quit consumption and start life anew.

 A state-wide campaign for creating awareness against the health hazards of tobacco consumption will be launched in cooperation with Jawaharlal Nehru Cancer Hospital & Research Centre, Bhopal, and Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai.

A delegation of doctors and office-bearers of managements of both the hospitals called on Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan here on Saturday and apprised him of the campaign’s outlines.

Chouhan said that desirable results can be achieved only through the participation of dedicated health organisations for creating awareness against health hazards of tobacco consumption. Giving consent to holding of an awareness programme for MLAs during Vidhan Sabha session, Chouhan said that people’s representatives can do the work of creating awareness among masses more effectively.

Tata Memorial Hospital Associate Professor Dr. Pankaj Chaturvedi informed that the process of making public places free of tobacco consumption will undertaken under the campaign and counselling sessions will also be held for tobacco addicts.

Founder of Jawaharlal Nehru Cancer Hospital, Bhopal Madan Mohan Joshi informed that efforts will be made to discourage sale of tobacco products near educational institutions and an atmosphere will be created for strict compliance of rules framed for this purpose.

Besides, educational programmes will be held for schoolchildren.