Issue 10
Tobacco Control in India
Fortnightly News Summary
NATIONAL HEADLINES
♦ When Lalu Prasad realised chewing khaini is a 'bad
habit'
The spotlessly clean railway stations in Japan put
Railways Minister Lalu Prasad in a bit of a spot - he
couldn't find a place to spit the red juice of khaini, a
tobacco mixture he loves to chew, and realized it had
become a "bad habit". 'I realised chewing khaini had
become a bad habit during my recent visit to Japan,' Lalu
Prasad said here Friday. (Source: Yahoo News: 24 January 2009)
♦ India tobacco exports surge 46 pct in Apr-Dec
India's tobacco exports surged 46 percent to $543.6
million in first nine months of fiscal 2008/09, as output
cuts in Europe forced overseas buyers to source more
produce from the country, a senior official said. (Source:
Reuters India: 29 January 2009)
♦ Tobacco stubbing out in public, govt to demarcate
special zones for smokers
Almost four months into the ban on smoking in public
places, the Delhi government plans to take it a step
forward by demarcating space for smoking and no-
smoking in public areas such as restaurants, pubs and
airport lounges. The guidelines, which government
officials say are as per international standards, are set to
be implemented in time for the Commonwealth Games in
2010. (Source: Indian Express: 28 January 2009)
♦ Further dilution of pictorial tobacco warnings feared
The Group of Ministers (GoM) in India will again meet to
assuage concerns of tobacco lobby on pictorial warnings,
health activists apprehend. This group of ministers (GoM)
consists of: Pranab Mukherjee (External Affairs Minister),
Kamal Nath (Commerce and Industry Minister),
Priyaranjan Dasmunsi (former Information and
Broadcasting Minister), S Jaipal Reddy (Urban
Development Minister), Dr Anbumani Ramadoss (Health
and family welfare Minister), and Oscar Fernandes (labour
and employment Minister for state). (Source: Thai-Indian News:
23 January 2009)
♦ Tobacco exports jump 13% on global demand
Tobacco shipment from India, the third-largest exporter in
the world, surged by 61% to Rs 2,428 crore till December
2008 on better price realizations and weakening rupee
against the dollar. Prices of tobacco skyrocketed to a
record average of Rs 84.85 per kg during auctions in
Andhra Pradesh in 2008 against Rs 47.47 the previous
year. (Source: The Economic Times: 26 January 2009)
♦ After months of smoking ban, Chhattisgarh yet to
file a case
Chhattisgarh police, yet to register a maiden case against
a smoker even after three months of ban on smoking in
public places, say they have more serious jobs in hand in
the Maoist insurgency-hit state.Top officers at the police
headquarters here said the state police, having a strength
of nearly 40,000 personnel for nearly 20.08 million
population, were still looking for the first case against a
smoker. (Source: IANS: 16 December 2008)
Provided by the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use
17-30 January 2009
STATE HEADLINES, Chandigarh
♦ Devgan Effects: : Airport authorities wake up to ban
Smoking ban at airport will get more stringent in just a
week’s time. Thanks to Ajay Devgan. He just didn’t draw
flak for puffing at a public place, but also jolted the
sleeping airport authorities awake. Though the October
2008 notification of smoking ban at public places
authorized the airport managers/in-charges to penalize
those violating the ban in their area, the authorities
seemed to be unaware of the fact. Now, a few officers of
the airport would be identified and authorized to book
those violating the smoking ban on the premises. The
challan book is being printed for the purpose.
(Source: The Times of India: Chandigarh: 19 January 2009)
♦ Bollywood stars fined for breaking smoking law
Chandigarh has banned smoking since July 2007, but
Salman and Ajay just could not stop lighting up. A High
court in News Delhi court said that the ban was a
restriction on creative freedom. The director of film should
not have multifarious authorities breathing down their
necks when indulging in the creative act.
(Source: Variety Asia Online News, Chandigarh: 26 January 2009)
♦ Tobacco exports jump 13% on global demand
Tobacco shipment from India, the third-largest exporter in
the world, surged by 61% to Rs 2,428 crore till December
2008 on better price realizations and weakening rupee
against the dollar. In volume terms, tobacco exports,
comprising raw tobacco and its products, rose 13% to
173,484 tonne between April and December 2008 from
153,991 tonnes in the year-ago period, a senior Tobacco
Board official said. “India exported tobacco worth Rs
2,428.65 crore between April and December against Rs
1,508.51 crore in the same period last year,” he said.
(Source: The Economic Times, Chandigarh: 26 January 2009)
♦ Govt. admits to tobacco industry pressure in an RTI
Pictorial warnings on tobacco products are intended to
increase consumer knowledge of the deadly health effects
of tobacco consumption, to encourage cessation and to
discourage uptake. In India they also break the linguistic
and cultural barrier, in addition to informing the illiterate
population (a large proportion of this segment smokes
bidis) about the harmful effects of tobacco use. (Source: The
Business and Political Daily, Chandigarh: 19 January 2009)
♦ Indian film smoking ban is lifted
The Delhi high court's order quashing the ban on
depiction of on-screen smoking has come as a breath of
fresh air to the members of the film fraternity. Said
Mahesh Bhatt, "The verdict proves that if the civil society
locks horns with the government for its constitutional
rights, it will find victory. The regional officer of the Censor
Board of Film Certification, said, "There was never a ban
on smoking on-screen. There is a guideline that says that
smoking should not be glorified. The guideline empowers
us to cut scenes if they are glamorous. (Source: The Times of
India, Chandigarh: 24 January 2009)
 Issue 10

Provided by the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use