The Union Health Ministry’s latest move to cut down on tobacco use is plain packaging! After putting pictorial health warnings on tobacco products, the union health ministry plans to push for plain packaging. Plain packaging could help bring down tobacco usage by heightening the effect of pictorial warnings, said a policy document by Australia-India Institute Taskforce on Tobacco Control released here Monday. According to the plain packaging legislation in Australia, packaging of cigarette and hand-rolled cigarettes cannot have colours, embossing, logos, brand images and promotional information.
“We have a huge young population addicted to tobacco. Plain packaging, particularly the Australian case study, can be an example for India,” said Shakuntala Gamlin, joint secretary in the Ministry of Health. ”Despite inter-ministerial differences, we have been able to flag the issue of tobacco control. We are moving ahead. Let’s see how plain packaging can be introduced in India,” she said.
The Global Adult Tobacco Survey says India has nearly 274.9 million tobacco users, the third-largest in the world. Tobacco kills nearly one million people every year due to tobacco-related diseases such as cancer, heart and lung illness. While the document recommends that India can introduce plain packaging as part of the comprehensive approach to combat tobacco use, experts say the country also needs to tighten enforcement and implementation of anti-tobacco laws. ”The laws have to be stricter and implementation needs to be strong. Government officials need to be sensitised so that they understand the whole tobacco issue,” said Monika Arora, head of health promotion and tobacco control at Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI).
“We are going to propose the policy document on plain packaging to the government through a series of consultations and face-to-face meetings. This will be with the key ministries involved — law ministry, health ministry and ministry of trade and commerce,” Arora told IANS. The task-force includes tobacco control experts from PHFI, Nossal Institute of Global Health from Melbourne (Australia) and voluntary organisations International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases and HRIDAY (Health Related Information Dissemination Amongst Youth).
“The tobacco industry uses attractive packaging and aggressive marketing to lure people. India must initiate legislation on plain packaging and ensure implementation of a policy that will have tremendous public health impact,” said K. Srinath Reddy, president, PHFI. The Global Adult Tobacco Survey says India has nearly 274.9 million tobacco users, third largest across the globe. Tobacco kills nearly one million in the country every year due to tobacco-related diseases such as cancer, heart and lung illness.
Source: IANS
If anybody seriously wanted to put an end to tobacco use, they would hit at the root of the problem – ban tobacco cultivation (no pun intended!) Showing pictures of oral cancer which is not directly caused by smoking tobacco, or of chest x-rays which even Indian radiologists read wrong, or of strange signs – what is the point? A smoker hardly has the time to read the box that holds the cigarettes. How many of us read what the matchboxes or box of candles say? It is not an eatable. Make tobacco equivalent to drugs like cocaine or heroin – definitely any fool can see that tobacco is more addictive. BAN TOBACCO. There is nothing like tobacco control. Another case of the misguided deliberately misguiding people. If you say packaging is the issue, I say BS!!!
ya this one is most effective controll measure…….like ganja govt should ban tobbacco cultivation……..so that it should not get to any cigarrate or gutkha manufacturer…………appreciate ur comment
The word “cancer” was coined for the malignant tumor as the tumor had such a strong potential to persist in the body similar to the strong hold of the CRAB. So, my question is, why did they put a sign of a scorpion on the packets?
Even by putting the wrong sign, will the public understand its significance?
mera suggestion hai ki cigarette ki kimat 1000 ki ek cigarette kar de aur bidi ki kimat 2000 ki ek bidi ker dey
Why not govt is making a rule to stop production of tobaco items?
If the production of tobacco is stopped, how will the govenrment make money??Kindly explain Mr. Samir. – Samir.
Then allow drugs too for making money.
tobaco rokna hai to paida karna roko, jab paida nahi hogi to log khayege kya, lekin sarkar isme hi kamai kar rahi hai, rokegi kyu, alkohal, sarab, ganja, afeem, ye sab sarkar ke “source of income” hai, kewal public ko chutiya banane ke liye bichhu ka photo lagate hai, yese me kabhi nahi rukegi, ayogya log jo sarkar ki sifarish or ghoos deke nokari paye hai yese log ” how they can give dificult decision”
i think is all shit of the govt ,if the govt really thinks for the health for people of india i really support if govt will stop the production tabacco
LEKIN SARKAR MUDDE SE DHYAN BHATKANE KE LIYE ABKI BAR KOBRA KA PHOTO LAGAYEGI