Manipal College of Dental Sciences organizes capacity-building workshop

Manipal, June 28, 2022: A capacity-building workshop on “Tobacco Vendor Licensing Considerations for Udupi district” was held at TMA Pai Hall, KMC Manipal.

The event was organized by the Department of Public Health Dentistry, Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal, in association with the UNION (International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease) Udupi District Surveillance Office, Udupi Zilla Panchayat, and Udupi City Municipality on the occasion of Nation Public Health Dentistry Week.

The workshop concentrated on the importance of Tobacco Vendor Licensing and the creation of awareness regarding tobacco-related diseases. It emphasized securing the future of youth by making India tobacco-free through the medium of licensing. The workshop had 3 interactive sessions conducted by Dr. Amit Yadav, senior technical advisor in Tobacco Control, The Union Southeast Asia Office in New Delhi, Prabhakar, Karnataka State project manager of the UNION, and Mahantesh, Divisional Coordinator Bloomberg initiative Karnataka Tobacco control cell, UNION.

This workshop had Udupi Zilla Panchayat Development Officers, Medical and Dental faculty, students, interns, and postgraduates as the audience. About 160 people participated in the program with enthusiasm and lively interaction.

H Prasanna, CEO, of Udupi Zilla Panchayat, was the chief guest.

“India is the 2nd highest consumer of tobacco which is known to cause millions of deaths every year due to cancer, yet it is being taken for granted. Deliberate steps need to be taken to control this issue. Workshops like this will create awareness about the importance of licensing and regulations. By controlling the supply of tobacco, we can create a healthy society,” he said.

Dr. Raghu AR, Director of International collaborations, MAHE was the guest of honor. Udupi District Surveillance officer, Dr. Nagarathna, was present.

Dr. Monica C Solomon, Dean, MCODS, Manipal, Dr. Vidya Saraswathi M, Associate Dean, MCODS, Dr. Ramprasad V P, Professor and Head, Department of Public Health Dentistry, MCODS, and Dr. Prajna Nayak, Reader, Dept of Public Health Dentistry were also present.

In her address, Dr. Monica C Solomon said that tobacco induces a lot of harm not only to the consumers but also to the people around them and the environment. “Despite the presence of anti-tobacco laws, there is an unrestricted supply of tobacco by vendors to minors and youth. We arranged this workshop to highlight the importance of Tobacco Vendor Licensing as it will not just reduce availability and accessibility and stop the illicit trade of tobacco products but in the long run increase compliance, reduce early initiation and support current tobacco users to quit,” she added.

After the interactive sessions, there was a field visit to Kodi Bengre- the Tobacco-Free village in Udupi. This workshop is the latest initiative by MAHE to decrease drug and tobacco consumption in Udupi District. They have also undertaken the Nasha Mukt Udupi Abhiyaan to make the region free of drug abuse.