Mumbai: Five Mumbai Police personnel were felicitated on Tuesday by the Cancers Patients Aids Association (CPAA), and awarded a paid trip to Srinagar and Kulu Manali for being the first ones to give up tobacco, ever since the association began its de-addiction initiative for the police.
Anita Peter, executive director of CPAA, said the initiative was started in 2015. “Ever since we began, there has been a dramatic fall in the consumption in the Mumbai Police. While 70% used to consume tobacco two years ago, the number is now at 35%.”
The felicitation programme was held at Grand Hyatt Hotel in Santacruz, with Maharashtra Director General of Police Satish Mathur as the chief guest. “I congratulate all my men who had the courage to leave the prison of tobacco and to turn back towards life. Addiction to tobacco is only the first step in the long path of addictions, which can lead to more addictive substances like narcotics.”
Narrate experiences
The five policemen — constable Prahlad Madne with RCF police station, retired sub inspector Somnath Darade, constable Vijay Chavan and assistant police inspector Balu Thorat with MRA Marg police station, and constable Anil Bhosale with Vile Parle police station — narrated their experiences. “Three years ago, while on night duty, I found a man on the street suffering from oral cancer so badly that his mouth was disfigured. I took him to a doctor, and reached home really disturbed. I was telling my wife about it when my grandson pointed out that I, too, chew tobacco. I never touched tobacco after that,” said Mr. Madne.
