NGO urges Centre to take back awards of actors promoting tobacco products through surrogate ads

They have obnoxiously normalised use of tobacco-gutka through their advts in society, he said in another tweet.They should be ashamed of promoting carcinogenic products causing cancer in surrogateindirect way, Salkar added.

A voluntary organisation working for the cause of tobacco eradication has urged the central government to take back the national awards of those film actors, who have been endorsing tobacco products through surrogate advertisements.

Taking to Twitter, Dr Shekhar Salkar, president of the National Organisation for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE), said that several leading Bollywood actors, who are Padma Shri award winner, were promotin carcinogenic substances and consumption of tobacco through such ads. Salkar, who is also the president of BJP's Goa medical cell, tweeted, ''While @PMOIndia is working overtime to make India healthy through Fit India movement, the entire mission is humiliated by these so-called influencers with their surrogate advt trapping the younger generation into tobacco consumption. Do these actors really deserve Padmashri?'' ''I appeal @PMOIndia to strip all the national honours given to these real life villains for violating the law of land. They have obnoxiously normalised use of tobacco-gutka through their advts in society,” he said in another tweet.

They should be ashamed of promoting carcinogenic products causing cancer in surrogate/indirect way, Salkar added.