29 November -12 December 2008, West Bengal

Issue 7

Tobacco Control in India Fortnightly News Summary

1-12 December 2008 of alcoholic and tobacco products. (Source: Press Trust of India:

NATIONAL HEADLINES

4December 2008)

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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

STATE HEADLINES, West Bengal

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Smoking ban, really? Do we care, ask Kolkata residents It’s been two months since a ban was imposed on smoking in public but here, in this crowded and chaotic metropolis, the ban order seems to have gone up in smoke with the enforcing agencies loathe to cracking the whip and lack of cooperation from citizens.

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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(Source: The Statesman: Kolkata, West Bengal: 3 December 2008)

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(Source: The Statesman : Kolkata, West Bengal: 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:

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)

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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.

Hindu Business Line, West Bengal: 9 December 2008)

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Ramadoss writes to me daily: CM Chief Minister Bud-dhadeb Bhattacharjee revealed that he had been receiving requests from Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss to quit smoking. "Everyday I receive letters from the Union Health Minister, saying — give up smoking, give up smoking," said the chief minister. He was speaking at an event of the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FICCI) at a hotel in Kolkata.

(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 2008)

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Govt. Turns down request of broadcasters on surrogate advertisement 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 withdraw the notification prohibiting surrogate advertising

Coordination makes smoke-free Barabati match possible The Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI)-Aparajita along with the commissioner of police and the Orissa Cricket Association (OCA) coordinated among themselves to ensure the same. An anti-tobacco campaign was also organized at the sporting event.

(Source: Indian Express, Kolkata, West Bengal: 3 December 2008)

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Cigarette war in Kolkata Calcutta is witnessing a cigarette war, with a New Delhibased company hurlaing charges of arm-twisting at distributors of a big player. Godfrey Phillips India Ltd, which last week re-entered the Calcutta cigarette market after 15 years, says the distributors are buying entire stocks of its products from shops and destroying them. (Source: The Telegraph, Kolkata, West Bengal: 8 December 2008)

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Vehicles being used as smoking way The private vehicles at public places are now being used as a smoking bay after it has been prohibited at public places. The most prominent places where cars are being extensively used for smoking purpose are at signal crossings, parking areas, and other public vicinities where cars can reach, for those chain smokers who have been hit by the new anti-smoking law at public places. As per

Provided by the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use

Issue 7 data available, from 2 Oct, 2008 to 3 Dec, 2008, 3965 public places have been raided and Rs 2,75,835 has been collected as fine. (Source: The Statesman, Kolkata, West Bengal: 8 December 2008)

Provided by the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use