CHENNAI: Despite the number of demonstrations and campaigns across the city to mark World No Tobacco Day it was just another day for the lakhs of smokers and cigarette-sellers in the city. Most of these people, who should be the key target of such a campaign, were completely in the dark about the observance and carried on as usual.Even though the Tamil Nadu Vanigar Sankankalin Peravai, a powerful collective of traders’ associations, had sent a call to its members to not sell cigarettes on Thursday, shopkeepers said their associations and unions understood the practicalities of business and did not enforce the moratorium.This meant only a token show of support for the cause. “We are all part of these unions only so we can collectively protect our businesses. Though I run a grocery store, cigarettes form a major part of my daily income. I don’t advertise and mine is not a dedicated cigarette outlet on the face of it. So if someone comes and asks me for cigarettes or paaku (gutkha) it makes perfect sense for me to sell it to them,” said Ganesa Nadar, a store owner in Thiruvanmiyur, who is part of the local traders union.While Nadar admitted he had received a communication from his union about the request to not sell tobacco products, the situation was different for most others. “I had no idea that the traders had sent out such a call. I would have heard of if even one shop was following the no-sell call in this area,” said Ram Kishan who works at a bustling pan business on Nungambakkam High Road.Most smokers hadn’t even heard about WNTD, let alone knowing it was on Thursday. So a day that was meant to create awareness about the many dangers of tobacco consumption was in effect confined to some small pockets of the city, failing to catch the imagination of the city’s many smokers.
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