Issue 7
Tobacco Control in India
Fortnightly News Summary
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
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 cardio-
treatment
Cardiovascular epidemic is making inroads in many low-
and 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)
♦ Govt. Turns down request of broadcasters on
surrogate advt
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
Provided by the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use
1-12 December 2008
withdraw the notification prohibiting surrogate advertising
of alcoholic and tobacco products.
(Source: Press Trust of India: 4December 2008)
STATE HEADLINES, New Delhi
♦ Banning on-screen smoking affects depiction of
reality: Bhatt
Noted film director Mahesh Bhatt today contended before
the Delhi High Court that ban on smoking scenes in films
and television programmes would prevent filmmakers
from depicting reality on silver screen. "I am not
glamourising smoking but depicting reality by showing
actors smoking in films," senior advocate Sandeep Sethi
appearing for the film-maker said, adding that any ban on
it would adversely impact depiction of reality in films.
(Source: Press Trust of India, New Delhi: 2 December 2008)
♦ Double stand on tobacco irks experts
The government is indulging in doublespeak about
pictorial warnings on tobacco products. At an international
forum, the government is advocating the concept of plain
packaging in which tobacco products have only the brand
name and pictorial warning. However, at home, it is
delaying implementation of pictorial warnings on tobacco
products. (Source: Mail Today, New Delhi: 2 December 2008)
♦ Deadline for pictorial warnings on tobacco products
put off, again
Less than a week before its order mandating pictorial
warnings on tobacco products was to come into effect, the
Government has decided to give the tobacco companies a
reprieve. The Government is learnt to have decided to
defer the November 30 deadline by at least four months.
This is the fifth time that the deadline has been deferred.
The idea was meant to be originally implemented under
court orders in February 2007 but the Government has
been postponing it under one pretext or the other,
apparently because of pressure from the tobacco lobby.
(Source: Press Trust of India, New Delhi: 2 December 2008)
♦ Worldwide support for ban on smoking in cars with
kids
A newly published review of 15 research studies across
Britain, North America, Australia and New Zealand shows
there is considerable support for tougher action on
smoking in cars. The first such review was conducted by
George Thomson and Nick Wilson of the University of
Otago, Wellington. (Source: News Track India, New Delhi, Delhi: 9
December 2008)
♦ Voluntary Health of India (VHAI) Condemns GoM
Decision
The tobacco control community and public health
organizations strongly condemn the shocking decision
taken at a meeting of the GoM on 24 November 2008 to
defer the much awaited implementation of pictorial
warnings on all tobacco products from 30 November
2008. This decision on has been repeatedly postponed
several times since February 2007. Ironically, the news of
this postponement came in while at Durban, South Africa,
India along with nearly 160 nations came together on 22
November 2008 and signed a treaty unanimously
 Issue 7
adopting the guidelines for Article 11 of the Framework
Convention of Tobacco Control (FCTC) which refers to the
packaging and labeling of tobacco products. The
Government of India was present in that meeting. (Source:
Business Wire, New Delhi, Delhi: 9 December 2008)

Provided by the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use