29 November -12 December 2008, Maharashtra

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

♦

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, 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.

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 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 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

(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 smoking. 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 Maharashtra'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,

Provided by the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use

Issue 7 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