29 November -12 December 2008, Chandigarh

Issue 7

Tobacco Control in India Fortnightly News Summary

1-12 December 2008 withdraw the notification prohibiting surrogate advertising of alcoholic and tobacco products.

NATIONAL HEADLINES

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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

(Source: Press Trust of India: 4December 2008)

STATE HEADLINES, Chandigarh ♦

2008)

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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)

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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

December 2008)

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Shun smoking to avoid heart attack: Expert Smoking is a major cause of heart attack in men. And, if a diabetic continues to smoke, that will be a deadly combination,” says Prof Jagat Narula, chief of division of cardiology, University of California, Irwin, while delivering a lecture during Berry Memorial Oration at the PGI today. The orator spoke on “Who get the heart attack?”. “One should aim for a goal of at least 30-45 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on most days of the week. Aerobic exercise is the one that is helpful for the heart. (Source: The Tribune, Chandigarh: 2 December 2008)

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5 Held for smoking in public Its continuous drive against smoking in public places, the local police on Tuesday arrested five persons while smoking at public places, hospital and bus stand areas of the town. Earlier on November 29, the police had arrested 10 persons in this connection from different local areas.

India: 2 December 2008)

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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 Tribune, Chandigarh: 3 December 2008)

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Cenvat rate cut not to cover tobacco products: Finance Ministry There is no relief on the wallet for smokers and users of tobacco products. The 4 percentage-point Cenvat rate cut announced by the Government on Sunday as part of the fiscal stimulus package does not cover tobacco products, the Finance Ministry has said. “No change has been made in the excise duty rates on petroleum products, specific rated items and tobacco products,” a Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) official said. (Source:

(Source: The Hindu: 2 December 2008)

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Poor in India-China have limited access to cardiotreatment Cardiovascular epidemic is making inroads in many lowand 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

Hindu Business Line, Chandigarh: 9 December 2008)

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Banning on-screen smoking affects depiction of reality: Bhatt Noted film director Mahesh Bhatt today contended before the Delhi High Court that ban on smoking scenes in films and television programmes would prevent filmmakers from depicting reality on silver screen. "I am not glamourising smoking but depicting reality by showing actors smoking in films," senior advocate Sandeep Sethi appearing for the film-maker said, adding that any ban on it would adversely impact depiction of reality in films.

2008)

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Govt. Turns down request of broadcasters on surrogate advt 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

HC notice to petitioner on hookah ban Taking up an application filed by a Sector-26 bar for becoming a party to a PIL seeking directions against hookah smoking in violation of law, the Punjab and Haryana High Court yesterday issued notice for December 22 to the petitioner, Burning Brains Society. The bench has also directed the Chandigarh administration to appraise the court about any complaints received by it about such bars, and the action taken by the authorities on the same. (Source: The Tribune, Chandigarh: 2

(Source: Press Trust of India, Chandigarh: 2 December 2008)

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Double stand on tobacco irks experts

Provided by the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use

Issue 7 At an international forum, the government is advocating plain packaging in which tobacco products have only the brand name and pictorial warning. However, at home, it is delaying implementation of pictorial warnings on tobacco products. (Source: Mail Today, New Delhi: 2 December 2008)

Provided by the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use