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
♦ City to be made smoke-free this year
The Delhi cabinet today decided to authorise MLAs to
recommend development works from unreleased MLA
land area development scheme (MLALADS) funds
pertaining to 1994-95 and 2008-09. It has also approved a
proposal to make the city smoke-free by 2009 through a
project in collaboration with Bloomberg Global Initiative
(BGI). Besides, Delhi Skills Mission Society will also be
set up. (Source: The Tribune, New Delhi, Delhi: 29 January 2009)
♦ Deadline talks: Anti-tobacco drive runs into thick
‘smoke’
The deadline to put a pictorial warning on cigarette packs
has passed again on November 30, 2008. But the pictorial
warnings are yet to find their way on them! Well, it could
have been a crab instead. But no pictorial warning found
its place on the packs. Several meetings have been held
since, deadlines set but nothing concrete has emerged so
far. Let’s face it, say activists and add that the much-
touted meeting of the group of ministers in this regard
might fail once again in the absence of the drive to do so.
(Source: The Hindustan Times, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh: 23 January 2009)
♦ 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. (Source: The Times of India:
Chandigarh: 19 January 2009)
♦ Smoke it out
After all the false starts regarding the curbing of tobacco
usage including attacking film stars and the film industry,
Union health minister A Ramadoss has decided to attack
the industry at its roots — the cultivation of tobacco. So
far, all anti-smoking or anti-gutkha campaigns were at the
retail and personal user level — like the ban on smoking
in public places, ban on advertising and higher taxation
levels. (Source: DNA, Mumbai, Maharashtra: 23 January 2009
♦ Spit and get beaten up: : Kolkata hospital’s
sanitation campaign
Most of our patients come from rural areas or from
backward classes. And as a habit they spit chewed
tobacco and betel leaf juice not only within the premises
but also inside the wards and at corridors. In fact, the
condition of the outdoor wards is worst.”
(Source: Daily Times India News, Kolkata, West Bengal: 22 January
2009)
♦ India to have uniform guideline for cancer treatment
The country also faces problems like tobacco-related oral
cancer, head and neck cancer and the uterine cervical
cancer like all developing countries. "We need innovative
solutions which are affordable using low technology.
 Issue 10
(Source: The Hindu, Chennai, Tamil Nadu: 23 January 2009)

Provided by the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use