8/14/2019 6 February-20 February 2009, Maharashtra
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Issue 11
Tobacco Control in IndiaFortnightly News Summary 6 February-20
February 2009
NATIONAL HEADLINES
GOM undecided on pictorial warning on tobacco
productsThe Group of Ministers on Tobacco today failed to
arriveat any decision on pictorial warnings on cigarette andpackets
of other tobacco products. Briefing reporters afterthe meeting of
the GoM headed by External AffairsMinister Pranab Mukherjee, Union
Health MinisterAnbumani Ramadoss said, "no decision has been
takenyet". (Source:Hindustan Times: 6 February 2009)
Ramadoss to Challenge Court's Ruling To Lift
Smoking Ban In FilmsUnion Minister for Health and Family Welfare
Dr.Anbumani Ramadoss has said that he will challenge thedecision of
the court overturning a central ban on smoking
in films. Ramadoss said the court decision was dividedand the
Central Government's decision to ban smoking infilms was based on
the decision of the World HealthOrganisation (WHO) not to glorify
smoking by projecting itin movies. (Source:Med India News: 6
February 2009)
UN Secretary General lauds Dr. Ramadoss as a
Public Health championUN Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon met
the UnionHealth & Family Welfare Minister, Dr.
AnbumaniRamadoss, here today and discussed a wide gamut ofhealth
related issues including National Rural HealthMission, impact of
global financial crisis on health andclimate change. Complementing
Dr. Ramadoss for his
leadership in the health sector, the Secretary Generaldescribed
Dr. Ramadoss as a public health champion,recognized at global
level, in the control of tobacco useand non-communicable disease
which accounts for two-third disease burden in India. (Source:Press
Information Bureau:6 February 2009)
Many Indians want pictorial warnings on tobacco
products'As the Government drags its feet on the issue of
pictorialwarnings on tobacco products, a survey has revealed thatan
overwhelmingly large number of Indians favour larger,more prominent
health warning labels on packets ofcigarettes and bidis.
(Source:Indian Express: 9 February 2009)
Ramadoss lauded for controlling tobacco use
THE UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon met the UnionHealth and
Family Welfare Minister Anbumani Ramadoss,and discussed a wide
gamut of health related issuesincluding the National Rural Health
Mission (NRHM),impact of global financial crisis on health and
climatechange. (Source:Meri News: 11 February 2009)
Bidi-smoking kills six lakh people in India every
yearAlmost six lakh people die from bidi-smoking in
Indiaannually while second-hand smoke is a known cause oflung
cancer, heart disease, low birth weight babies and
chronic lung ailments such as bronchitis and asthma, astudy has
pointed out. (Source:Indian Express: 11 February 2008)
STATE HEADLINES, Maharashtra
Pictorial health warnings must on tobacco
products: surveyThe government may be delaying the deadline
forimplementing pictorial health warnings on tobaccoproducts, but a
whopping 99 percent of Indians living inmetros believe stricter
warning labels on tobacco productsare a must to effectively
communicate the dangers oftobacco use, says a survey. Pictorial
warnings on tobaccoproducts are intended to increase consumer
knowledge ofthe deadly health effects of tobacco consumption,
toencourage cessation and to discourage uptake. Since alarge number
of illiterate population form the chunk of bidismokers, pictorial
warnings cut across linguistic andcultural barriers. (Source:
Thai-Indian News, Mumbai, Maharashtra:7February 2009)
Maharashtra earns an estimated 6 lakhs from fines
for smoking in public placesLess than three months of the ban on
smoking in publicplaces, the FDA claims to have already collected
awhopping fine of Rs. 5, 79,925 from those found breakingthe rule
in Maharashtra. This collection is the amount thathas been taken
till November 2008 and is among thebiggest collected from a state
in the country. The ban onsmoking in public places was already in
place since 2004.However, due to lack of awareness, required
manpowerand infrastructure, it did not provide the expected
results.The Central government had reinforced the ban on
smoking in public, which was imposed under theProhibition of
Smoking in Public Places Rules, 2008.The ban came into force from
October 2, mainly to protectindividuals from the hazards of
second-hand smoke andto help smokers kick the habit. With the help
of 250 FDAofficials and support of police personnel, fines
weresuccessfully collected. (Source:ShreeLaxmi News,
Mumbai,Maharashtra:6 February 2009)
Bollywood back in the Smoke
In 2005, India imposed a ban on scenes of actors withcigarettes
dangling from their lips in films and television.The inane
justification behind the action was that itglamorised the use of
tobacco. After much criticism, the
angered stars and filmmakers can finally pop a LouisRoederer
Cristal again this year, as the Delhi High Courthas overturned the
central government ban on performerssmoking on film. (Source:Inside
Desi News, Mumbai, Maharashtra: 8February 2009)
No tobacco picture need
Even as the Government continues to dither over issuingpictorial
health warnings on cigarettes, bidis and othertobacco packages,
support for such a move among thegeneral public has been
near-total. (Source: Sakal NewsNews,Mumbai, Maharashtra:6 February
2009)
World conference on Tobacco Or Health
Provided by the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use
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