Issue 7
Tobacco Control in India
Fortnightly News Summary
NATIONAL HEADLINES
♦ Pictorial warning on tobacco products not during
UPA tenure: Ramadoss
Admitting defeat in ensuring pictorial health warnings on
packets of cigarettes and other tobacco products, India's
Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss Saturday said the
decision has been deferred by at least six months -- by
when the current United Progressive Alliance government
would have finished its term. (Source: The Hindu: 2 December
2008)
♦ Deferment of pictorial warnings gives beedi
workers a breather
The Union ministry of health and family welfare has
deferred its plan to enforce legislation that stipulates
printing of pictorial warning on beedi packets and tobacco
products by six months, giving a breather to the beedi
industry that employs 10 million workers across the
country. The All India Beedi Industry Federation had last
month said that as many as one million workers, mostly
women, employed in the industry will lose their jobs in the
next few months as a recent ban on smoking in public
places, together with the display of pictorial warnings on
packs, will discourage tobacco consumption, triggering a
fall in sales. (Source: Live Mint News: 5 December 2008)
♦ Tobacco warning may be postpone
The warning, due to be implemented from December 1,
was deferred to May 31 at a meeting on Monday.
According to sources, the beedi industry issued a strike
notice and this triggered the meeting. (Source: The Times of
India: 2 December 2008)
♦ Court won’t interfere with order on pictorial
warning on tobacco packs
A Division Bench of the Madras High Court has refused to
interfere with an order passed by a single judge vacating
the interim stay on Labelling Rules notified by the Centre
on March 15 making it mandatory to print specified
pictorial warnings in cigarette and other tobacco packets.
(Source: The Hindu: 2 December 2008)
♦ Poor in India-China have limited access to cardio-
treatment
Cardiovascular epidemic is making inroads in many low-
and middle-income countries (LMIC) like India and China,
but the poor have limited or no access to treatment
facilities. Disease risk factors like obesity, high blood
pressure, tobacco smoking and diabetes, are on the
increase in LMICs. (Source: Indo-Asian News Service: 4December
2008)
♦ Government turns down request of broadcasters on
surrogate advertisements
Government has not acceded to the request of private
broadcasters to withdraw its notification prohibiting
surrogate advertising on television. In a written reply to
Lok Sabha here today, Minister of State for Information
and Broadcasting Anand Sharma said that Indian
Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) in a representation to the
ministry dated March 31, 2008 had requested it to
Provided by the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use
1-12 December 2008
withdraw the notification prohibiting surrogate advertising
of alcoholic and tobacco products.
(Source: Press Trust of India: 4December 2008)
STATE HEADLINES, Maharashtra
♦ Two months after smoking ban, panel to monitor
cases
Two months after smoking in public places was banned, a
committee has been set up to monitor the number of
cases registered in the district against offenders. With the
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) having no clue on
the exact number of cases registered and various
regulatory authorities looking into their own cases, the
district collectorate felt the need for appointing the
coordinating committee to monitor the cases registered.
(Source: Indian Express, Pune, Maharashtra: 9 December 2008)
♦ Haj day, a quit smoking day!
For thousands of Muslim smokers, Haj pilgrimage this
year can be a great chance to quit the habit, if they take
host Saudi Arabia's initiative seriously to make the holy
cities tobacco-free. Out of about three million pilgrims
expected from various countries including India for Haj
this year, an estimated seven lakh will be smokers and the
TCP has printed around 1.5 million leaflets in 14
languages for distribution among pilgrims including both
smokers and non-smokers. (Source: DNA, Mumbai, Maharashtra:
8 December 2008)
♦ Another step towards a tobacco-free environment
After numerous notifications with implementation dates
revised, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,
Government of India notified the date of implementation of
pictorial warnings on tobacco packs as November
30,2008. While the law finally comes into force in India ,
few nations have actually gone ahead implementing a
solution which can help smokers quit and remain quit on a
sustainable basis.
(Source: Power of Voice, Pune, Maharashtra: 11 December 2008)
♦ Smoking room in Japanese school
A Japanese school principal apologised for creating a
"smoking room" for students who could not give up smok-
ing. There had been minor fires as a number of students
smoked in secret.
(Source: DNA, Mumbai, Maharashtra: 11 December 2008)
♦ Godfrey to invest Rs 200 cr in plant
Gdfrey Phillips, the Rs 1,800-crore tobacco company with
interests in beverages and confectionery products, is
investing over Rs 200 crore to set up a plant in Ma-
harashtra's Thane to make cigarettes. Currently, the
company has two plants, one in Mumbai and another in
Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. (Source: Mid Day, Mumbai,
Maharashtra: 2 December 2008)
♦ A wisp of public- spiritedness
Tobacco firms want the right to participate in global efforts
to limit the lethal consequences of nicotine addictionate
but 160 governments say no. Some people would say it
was tantamount to foxes asking to be consulted about the
welfare of chickens. But the global tobacco industry, while
no longer denying that its products do terrible damage,
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has long insisted that in any discussion about how to limit
the medical effects of the weed, it is a legitimate partner.
(Source: The Financial Express, Mumbai, Maharashtra: 2 December 2008)

Provided by the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use