Health and Family Ministry bags Luther L Terry award

New Delhi, Apr 24 (UNI) The American Cancer Society has selected the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare headed by Dr Anbumani Ramadoss for the prestigious Luther L Terry Award for 2006 for exemplary leadership by a government ministry.

The award will be given away during the World Conference on Tobacco (or Health) being held in Washington D C on July 14, 2006.

The Ministry has been selected for its pioneering role in anti-tobacco advocacy as displayed by enactment of a national tobacco control legislation and the leadership provided by the Indian delegation at the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control negotiations inspite of strong opposition from the domestic and global industry.

Though India is a tobacco growing and exporting country with large-scale employment in the sector, the Health Ministry consistently advocated strong measures and also mustered support from other government departments through repeated inter-ministerial consultations.

India is the first country to propose a ban on the depiction of smoking seen in films and tele-serials.

UNI SD PR HT2000