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)
♦ 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)
♦ 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)
♦ 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, Karnataka
♦ Rs. 450 been set aside for tobacco campaign
To make its anti-tobacco campaign more successful, the
Union Health Ministry will now involve elected
representatives, teachers and students as enforcers of the
no-smoking rule. Union Health and Family Welfare
Minister Anbumani Ramadoss on Monday said that MPs,
MLAs, corporators and members of panchayats apart
from teachers and students would be involved in the
campaign. The Ministry imposed ban on smoking in public
places from October 2. (Source: The Hindu, Mangalore, Karnataka:
7 January 2009)
♦ Smoking ban poor: execution in the state
Three months after the much-hyped ban on smoking in
public was introduced in the country, health officials in
Karnataka have managed to collect only a paltry Rs.
63,000 as penalty from violators. Does this mean that not
many are violating the ban, or is this because of poor
compliance of rules by officials? The Union Health
Ministry recently pulled up Karnataka Health Department
officials for their inept approach to implementing the ban.
(Source: The Hindu: Mangalore, Karnataka: 5 January 2009)
♦ Bidi workers organize protest: Demand Exemption
from Anti-Smoking Act
Bidi workers gathered in large numbers under the
leadership of the South Canara Bidi Workers Federation
(CITU), in front of the office of the district deputy
commissioner on Tuesday December 30, to stage a
demonstration in support of their demand for the
implementation of their ten point demand, exempting bidis
from the provisions of the Anti Smoking Act of 2003 etc.
(Source: Daijiworld Media Network, Mangalore, Karnataka:1 January
2009)
♦ After tobacco Ramadoss to crackdown on junk food
After banning smoking in public places and on screen, the
Union Health and Family Welfare ministry is all set to
make labelling of food products mandatory, informing
consumers about ingredients, calories and saturated fat,
in an apparent drive against junk food.
(Source: Zee News, Mangalore, Karnataka: 6 January 2009)
♦ Tobacco auction all set to go wireless
Tobacco sales may not have gone up in smoke, but they
are certainly set to go wireless for the first time in India.
The Tobacco Board will inaugurate a electronic auction (e-
auction) system on November 9 to regulate sales of
Virginia tobacco in the state. (Source: Business Standard,
Mangalore, Karnataka: 7 January 2009)
♦ Teenagers attracting to smoking causing concern:
Minister
Speaking after flagging off a rally against Tobacco here,
he said that according to World Health Organisation
(WHO) report, 14 per cent of teenagers in the age group
of 13 to 15, especially school children in India, were
attracted to smoking, which was against the Centre's aim
of providing good health to all. (Source: Manglorean News,
Mangalore, Karnataka: 6 January 2009)
 Issue 9

Provided by the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use