Issue 9
Tobacco Control in India
Fortnightly News Summary
NATIONAL HEADLINES
♦ Tobacco FDI attracts global lobby
International governments and global tobacco players
from Switzerland, Japan and the US have come together
to lobby against a government move to ban Foreign Direct
Investment in tobacco. India currently allows up to 100 per
cent FDI in this sector, but the health ministry has moved
a draft note for the cabinet to ban foreign investment in
this sector. This move is likely to re-focus attention on a
proposal from Japan Tobacco International (JTIL), which
has applied to the Foreign Investment Promotion Board to
raise its stake in its Indian venture from 50 to 74 per cent.
(Source: Business Standard: 15 January 2009)
♦ Beedi makers’ plea made us defer photo pictorial
warning scheme: govt
The pressure mounted by beedi industry and other
interested parties on the Union Health Ministry seems to
be working as the government has linked its decision to
defer implementation of the proposed depiction of pictorial
warnings on tobacco products to their pleas. (Source: Zee
News: 10 January 2009)
♦ Ramadoss to seek increase in anti-tobacco
campaign budget
Union Health Minster Anbumani Ramadoss today said his
ministry will seek an increase in budgetary allocation for
the anti-tobacco campaign and plans to use part of cess
collected from tobacco sales for the purpose. The
campaign would involve a lot more enforcers in the form
of members of parliament, MLAs, panchayats, teachers,
among others to drive the no-smoking rule apart from
punitive measures, the minister said while unveiling an
anti-tobacco rally at Bangalore Medical College here.
(Source: Business Standard: 6 January 2009)
♦ Ban on smoking in public places goes up in smoke
The ambitious ban on smoking in public places has failed
to take off in a majority of states. Ever since October 2,
when the ban formally came into force, only eight
states/UTs have started imposing fines on those caught
violating the law. Repeated reminders by the Union health
ministry to large states like West Bengal and Maharashtra
to implement the ban in toto have fallen on deaf ears.
(Source: The Times of India: 31 December 2008)
♦ Smoking norms has no meaning in UP
Even after the imposition of the Anti Smoking Act,
smoking was found to be rampant in many government /
private offices and other public places in Lucknow, the
capital city of Uttar Pradesh. (Source: Dainik Jagran: 26
December 2008)
♦ 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
3-16 January 2009
STATE HEADLINES, Maharashtra
♦ Bombay HC admits case against Big B for violating
tobacco law
Bombay High Court on Wednesday admitted a case
against megastar Amitabh Bachchan and others for
violating anti-tobacco laws in Goa. Goa bench of the High
Court observed that there was a prima facie case against
Bachchan and others, for violation of the Tobacco Control
Law, in a criminal complaint filed by an non-government
organization (NGO). (Source: The Times of India, Mumbai,
Maharashtra: 15 January 2009)
♦ Amir lauded for anti-smoking scene in 'Ghajini'
A Mumbai-based public health institute has lauded Aamir
Khan Production Pvt Ltd for the actor's anti-smoking
scene in the latest blockbuster, 'Ghajini'. Healis Sekhsaria
Institute for Public Health has sent a letter of appreciation
to Aamir Khan Productions Pvt Ltd applauding him for the
scene in his latest blockbuster hit 'Ghajini'. (Source: The
Economic Times, New Delhi, Delhi: 8 January 2009)
♦ A new cigarette hazard: Third-hand smoke
Parents who smoke often open a window or turn on a fan
to clear the air of second hand smoke, but experts now
have identified another smoking-related threat to chil-
dren's health that isn't as easy to get rid of: third-hand
smoke. (Source: DNA, Pune, Maharashtra: 6 January 2009)
♦ Bombay high court fiat to FDA on imported
cigarette packets
A crackdown on imported cigarettes, which do not carry
statutory health warnings, may be in order. . A division
bench of Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice
Sharad Bobde also asked FDA's zonÂal commissioners to
file affidavits on the steps they had taken against foreign-
made cigarette packs which violated rules.
(Source: The Times of India, Pune, Maharashtra: 15 December 2008)
♦ Thank you Aamir
Sekhsaria Institute for Public Health has sent a letter of
appreciation to Aamir Khan Productions Private Limited
applauding him for the scene in his latest blockbuster hit
Ghajini. The scene promoting the fact that smoking is
banned in public places highlights the team's sensitivity in
correctly portraying smoking in public as an unlawful
activity. P C Gupta, director, Healis Sekhsaria Institute for
Public Health, Mumbai, says, "When a celebrity smokes
publicly or in a movie as a character, he/she not only
violates the law but also influences the fans to start
consuming tobacco. (Source: The New Indian Express, Chennai,
Tamil Nadu: 7 January 2009)
♦ Smoke free zone
Now, pictorial warnings on cigarette packets hope to deter
smokers. For every problem there is a solution. And to
tackle the menace of smoking, the Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare, Government of India has come up with
another step to discourage smokers. Cigarette packets
will now show pictorial warnings. These labels are
specially meant for low-literacy audiences and children,
 Issue 9
which are the two most vulnerable groups. Moreover, it is
believed that graphics create greater impact than words.
(Source: Little About, Mumbai, Maharashtra 15 December 2008)

Provided by the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use