TambakooKills : Messages : 358-387 of 1086

Engaging healthcare providers in tobacco control on 'Safe Saturday'

[To read this posting in Hindi language, click here ]
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The healthcare providers, particularly the young nursing and medical students can potentially strengthen tobacco control in all healthcare facilities. This was the key thought expressed at the 'Safe Saturday' seminar held in Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Medical University (CSMMU), organized by its Tobacco Cessation Centre. People tend to indulge more in risk-taking behaviour on a Saturday and health-seeking behaviour is minimal - that is why the Surgeons of CSMMU have taken an initiative to raise awareness and target different audiences for a 'safe saturday.'

The importance of integrating tobacco cessation with the existing healthcare services was emphasized by Professor (Dr) Rama Kant, Head of the Department of Surgery at CSMMU and a World Health Organization (WHO) Director General's Awardee (2005). He firmly believes that we can use the existing vast healthcare network of our country in tobacco control, simply by better management and utilization of the existing healthcare staff, at no extra cost. Involvement of health care workers is a major tool in curbing the tobacco epidemic.

Studies have shown that even a brief counseling by health professionals on dangers of smoking and the importance of quitting goes a long way in reducing tobacco consumption. This method is cost effective too and has been successfully tried in some parts of the state of Uttar Pradesh, informed Prof (Dr) Rama Kant. He felt that it was essential for all the primary and community health centres in the rural areas to join hands with the district hospitals/medical institutes in the urban areas to be part of this tobacco control activity.

The health professionals need to have adequate knowledge and a proper attitude in order to put the plan into practice. Proper training (by way of lectures and audio visual programmes) of the doctors, paramedics, nurses and all others involved in patient care is very essential. This should be coupled with a proper attitude. Lack of time is often cited as an excuse. But "even a cursory remark by the doctor like � 'do you take tobacco?' may have a tremendous cessation outcome" says Dr Vinod Jain, Associate Professor, Department of Surgery at CSMMU. A study has revealed that smoking cessation interventions during physician visits were associated with increased patient satisfaction. Patients are bound to feel that the doctor cares for them. Even one minute spent with the patient, results in an abstinence rate of 11% which increases to 17.5% if contact time is 3 minutes.

"Tobacco kills 5.4 million people around the world each year. Tobacco is a risk factor in six of the eight leading causes of death worldwide" said Alejandra Ellison Barney, Wellesley College, USA. The death toll is projected to rise to eight million a year by 2030, with 80 percent of those deaths occurring in developing countries, added Alejandra. If current trends are not reversed, tobacco will claim one billion lives this century, said she.

The healthcare professionals were also briefed on the coming World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) on 31 May 2009. This year the theme for WNTD 2009 is "Tobacco Health Warnings." Tobacco health warnings appear on packs of cigarettes and are among the strongest defences against the global epidemic of tobacco. WHO particularly approves of tobacco health warnings that contain both pictures and words because they are the most effective at convincing people to quit. Such pictorial warnings appear in more than a dozen countries.

The healthcare providers in CSMMU will campaign to encourage their government to adopt tobacco health warnings that meet all the criteria for maximal effectiveness, including that they cover more than half of the pack, appear on both the front and back of the pack and contain pictures. In India, the pictorial health warnings on all tobacco products are slated to come into effect from 30 May 2009.
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To read or download this posting in Hindi language, go to: http://tambakookills.blogspot.com/2009/04/blog-post_25.html

To read or download this posting in English language, go to: http://tambakookills.blogspot.com/2009/04/engaging-healthcare-providers-in.html

#359

From: tambakoo.kills@...
Date: Mon Apr 27, 2009 5:46 am
Subject: Don't smoke the first cigarette

Don't smoke the first cigarette
The Times of India, Bangalore, Karnataka

[To read this news in hindi language, click here]
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EXCERPT:

`Don't smoke the first cigarette' was the message. Over 55 students from NGOs Association of Students Working against Tobacco and Yuva took out a silent march on Sunday to propagate their anti-tobacco campaign. They walked from Mahatma Gandhi statue on MG Road to Cubbon Road. They held banners that read `I'll not pick up my first cigarette' and other similar anti-tobacco catchwords. Students came from many colleges across the city. They aimed to discourage young people below 21 years old from starting smoking.

The association has so far collected over 10,000 pledges through its signature campaign started in January. Association coordinator Manisha Lobo said if a person between 13 and 21 years old does not taste his first cigarette during this period, he is less likely to develop a smoking habit. Noted personalities from various fields such as Nikhil Chinnappa, DJ Ivan, Shetal Sharma, Nitu Gupta and others supported the campaign.

The association was launched in 2004. It was an initiative by students of EMDI Institute of Event Management. They hold the rally every year, hoping to prevent young people from touching even a single cigarette for the first time and helping smokers quit the habit. Read more

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TambakooKills News Bulletin
Monday, 27 April 2009
Issue-572

#360

From: tambakoo.kills@...
Date: Tue Apr 28, 2009 6:26 am
Subject: Philip Morris, Modis settle Marlboro row

Philip Morris, Modis settle Marlboro row
The Economic Times, New Delhi, Delhi

[To read this news in hindi language, click here]
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EXCERPT:
US tobacco giant Philip Morris and its Indian joint venture partner, the KK Modi group, have decided to settle their dispute over the sale of Marlboro cigarettes in India, in what is being seen as a tactical retreat by both companies keen on gaining market share.

The board of Godfrey Phillips India (GPI), where the two firms own a 36% stake each, decided on Saturday to start negotiations with Philip Morris to market Marlboro through the GPI distribution network in India. The two companies had clashed in 2003 after Philip Morris bypassed its Indian partner and struck an arrangement with a local distributor to sell Marlboro in India.

The US company had said at that time Marlboro, its iconic brand immortalised by the picture of a cigarette-toting cowboy, was too precious to be given to a company not controlled by it. The subsequent thaw and Saturday's decision to bury the hatchet is being attributed to a serious deterioration in GPI's competitive position and the ever increasing dominance of ITC, part owned by British American Tobacco, Philip Morris' big global rival.

India's 96 billion sticks-a-year cigarette market is dominated by ITC with about 65% share. GPI's Four Square, Jaisalmer are small players in the premium segment, which itself comprises 60% of the total market. KK Modi, chairman of the company, declined to comment on Saturday's board decision, but a person close to the devlopment said the move is largely to combat ITC's hegemony.

"The standoff has not helped either GPI or Philip Morris' plans in India. Marlboro will add to GPI's portfolio a high-end brand with strong consumer pull which it always lacked. The board has been formally informed about discussions with Philip Morris, but this does not imply that a deal has been finalised," said the person, requesting anonymity.

GPI shares jumped 20% or Rs 166.25, to close at Rs 997.60 on BSE. In January last year, ET had first reported about early talks between GPI and Philip Morris to cut a marketing and distribution deal for Marlboro. Although an executive close to the development said that Marlboro will be imported and marketed in India, another person familiar with the matter said that Philip Morris International has already done due diligence on two GPI plants in Mumbai and Ghaziabad, suggesting that the deal may involve local manufacturing of Marlboro.

While the government will not allow any expansion in production, the person said that GPI had idle capacity as cigarette production declined during FY09, with firms stopping production of non-filter cigarettes due to the high excise duty. Philip Morris is likely to invest in marketing, while GPI will be involved in manufacturing and distribution. In fact, GPI has been bolstering its distribution strength in the southern and eastern states, areas considered weak for the company. Philip Morris is likely to keep its 100% India arm, set up to import and distribute Marlboro, as a shell company that will hold the brand rights, people familiar with the situation said. Read more

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TambakooKills News Bulletin
Tuesday, 28 April 2009
Issue-573

#361

From: tambakoo.kills@...
Date: Thu Apr 30, 2009 10:51 am
Subject: Shahrukh Khan May Be Banned from IPL Due to Smoking

Shahrukh Khan May Be Banned from IPL Due to Smoking
Deshi Hit News, Mumbai, Maharashtra

[To read this news in hindi language, click here]
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EXCERPT:

Shahrukh Khan is known to be a family man because to him, family is his support. He tries not to ever set a bad example for his kids. But everyone has their one dirty habit that they just can't seem to quit. For Shahrukh Khan, the one vice that's getting him into trouble is smoking. Not only is it a dirty habit that leaves you smelling like smoke, causes health problems, and stains your teeth, but it's also one that many people just don't want to be around.

Well, for Shahrukh Khan, smoking is possibly banning him from some very important events that he needs to be a part of. As an owner of a cricket team, the Indian Premiere League events are ones that Shahrukh Khan needs to attend. If The National Organization for Tobacco Eradication has anything to say about it; Shahrukh Khan may soon be banned from IPL.

NOTE said that the broadcasters of IPL games should make sure that there are no images caught on tape of celebrities smoking. They felt that if impressionable youth saw movie stars (especially ones as big as Shahrukh Khan); they might want to follow suit. At this time smoking isn't banned in public places, but in South Africa that may soon be a thing of the past. Read more

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TambakooKills News Bulletin
Thursday, 30 April 2009
Issue-574

#362

From: tambakoo.kills@...
Date: Fri May 1, 2009 6:16 am
Subject: Tambakoo-Kills This-Week: 27 April- 1 May 2009

Tambakoo-Kills This-Week: 27 April- 1 May 2009
Issue-575
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The Tambakoo-Kills This-Week provides a weekly snapshot of five major news pieces on Indian tobacco control.
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Philip Morris, Modis settle Marlboro row
US tobacco giant Philip Morris and its Indian joint venture partner, the KK Modi group, have decided to settle their dispute over the sale of Marlboro cigarettes in India, in what is being seen as a tactical retreat by both companies keen on gaining market share. (Source: The Times of India) Read more

Smokescreen as policy
Some 14 months ago, India's then minister of state for commerce made front-page news by proclaiming that there was a plan to phase out the country's tobacco crop over five to 10 years since the commodity was dangerous to the health of consumers. (Source: The Economic Times) Read more

Surgery Department To Start `Freedom From Tobacco'Campaign
There is some good news for those tobacco users who want to quit but are unable to do so. Now counseling sessions will be held every Saturday, in the Surgery Department of CSM Medical University, Lucknow. This information was given by Prof. Rama Kant, head of the surgery department. (Source: DNA News) Read more

Shahrukh Khan May Be Banned from IPL Due to Smoking
NOTE said that the broadcasters of IPL games should make sure that there are no images caught on tape of celebrities smoking. They felt that if impressionable youth saw movie stars (especially ones as big as Shahrukh Khan); they might want to follow suit. At this time smoking isn't banned in public places, but in South Africa that may soon be a thing of the past. (Source: Deshi Hit News) Read more

Time to ban the puff, says doctors
Minors can't vote in India even if they make tireless efforts but they can smoke without any restriction, said Dr. Ramakant delivering a lecture under the `Safe Saturday' programme organized at Medical University. The department of general Surgery at Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Medical University runs a weekly programme to educate different sections of society on health issues. (Source: Hindustan Times) Read more

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This is produced by TambakooKills youth team, coordinated by Indian Society Against Smoking (ISAS)

#363

From: tambakoo.kills@...
Date: Wed May 6, 2009 4:52 am
Subject: Govt's role under SC scanner on dilution of tobacco warnings

Govt's role under SC scanner on dilution of tobacco warnings
The Times of India, New Delhi, Delhi

[To read this news in hindi language, click here]
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EXCERPT:
The Supreme Court on Tuesday summoned minutes of the group of ministers' (GoM) meeting to find out whether former central health minister Anbumani Ramadoss had told the truth on the government succumbing to pressure on the tobacco warning on cigarettes rule. Ramadoss had alleged that the minutes of the meeting were changed to suit cigarette and bidi manufacturers.

The government admitted the warning was diluted, but said the new warning will come into effect without fail from May 31. There would be no more postponement in this regard, it said. "At least some pictorial warning will come into force," the government said. "Better to start with something," it added.

On Saturday, Ramadoss alleged the government had succumbed to pressure from the tobacco and cigarette manufacturers' lobby to dilute the pictorial warning specifications on cigarette packets. Addressing the media, he said: "I understand the government has decided to have pictorial warning of 40% only on retail cigarette and beedi packets and not on other bulk packages."

According to him, the minimum pictorial warning sign on one side of the packet is 30% internationally. In India, it is going to be 20% on one side as the government has decided on 40% norm. "I had recorded in the minutes of the meeting of Group of Ministers chaired by (External Affairs) Pranab Mukherjee held on Feb 3 that no decision on pictorial warning was taken. The minutes of that meeting seems to be changed after I quit the government," he alleged.

Images of skull and bones, scorpion (the zodiac sign for cancer), lungs are some of the pictorial warning options. Read more

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TambakooKills News Bulletin
Wednesday, 6 May 2009
Issue-575

#364

From: tambakoo.kills@...
Date: Wed May 6, 2009 11:21 am
Subject: Tobacco warning diluted: Govt says Ramadoss lied, SC supports govt stand

bobbyramakant

Tobacco warning diluted: Govt says Ramadoss lied, SC supports govt stand
6 May 2009, 1219 hrs IST, Dhananjay Mahapatra
The Times of India

[To read a related posting in Hindi language , click here ]
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NEW DELHI: The Centre has given an undertaking in the Supreme Court that it will implement the rules relating to pictorial warning on cigarette and tobacco products from May 31.

The assurance came in the backdrop of criticism that the Centre was dragging its feet on implementing the rules due to pressure from the tobacco lobby.

The government said that former Union health minister Anbumani Ramadoss had lied when he alleged the minutes of the GoM (Group of Ministers) meeting on the issue of pictorial health warnings on cigarette and beedi packs had been altered due to pressure from tobacco and cigarette manufacturers and to benefit the tobacco industry.

On Tuesday, the apex court asked for the records of the meeting of Group of Ministers to examine the charge of the former health minister.

Today, after looking at the records of the meeting, the SC supported the government's stand and recorded its undertaking to implement the warning by May 31. The apex court also barred all other courts from dealing with the issue.

Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium appearing for the Union government gave the undertaking before a bench of Justices B N Agrawal and G S Singhvi.

Ramadoss, who had campaigned aggressively against smoking, had alleged that the minutes of the February 3 GoM meeting were doctored to make warnings on the tobacco and beedi packs smaller than what was agreed upon.

Viewing the allegation seriously and wanting to know whether the minutes of the GoM were changed subsequent to Ramadoss signing it, the Supreme Court asked the Centre on Tuesday to produce records of the February 3 GoM meeting chaired by Pranab Mukherjee before it on Wednesday.

Additional solicitor general Gopal Subramaniam, appearing for the health ministry, was in a piquant situation but tried to deflect the issue by saying the Centre has taken a decision to strictly enforce from May 31 the health warning, which would occupy 40% of the front side of the cigarette or beedi packets.

Online at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Ramadoss-lied-on-tobacco-warning/articleshow/4490273.cms

#365

From: tambakoo.kills@...
Date: Thu May 7, 2009 5:37 am
Subject: Skull and cross bones warnings on cigarette packs from May 31

Skull and cross bones warnings on cigarette packs from May 31
Hindustan Times, New Delhi, Delhi

[To read this news in hindi language, click here]
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EXCERPT:
The government on Wednesday assured the Supreme Court that it would ensure pictorial warnings like the skull and cross bones or a cancer-disfigured face were carried on the packets of cigarettes and other tobacco products from May 31.

Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniam told the bench of Justice B N Agrawal and Justice G S Singhvi that the government will not defer beyond May 31 the implementation of the law mandating pictorial warnings on cigarette packets.

"The Union of India undertakes to implement the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products (Packing and Labeling) Rules, 2008, from May 31, 2009," the government's law officer said. "Its implementation will not be further delayed in any case," he added.

Approving of the government's commitment, the bench ruled, "No court in the country can pass an order that might hinder the implementation of the law."

The rider came on a plea by senior counsel Indira Jaisingh, who said that the powerful tobacco lobbies that had been behind repeated deferments of the law's implementation for the last three years might still delay this.

The government's undertaking came during the hearing of a lawsuit by NGO Health for Millions seeking implementation of the law on pictorial warnings on the packets of all tobacco products. The pictorial warning would occupy 40 percent of the space on the front of all packets.

The undertaking came a day after the court queried the government on Jaisingh's charge that despite a Group of Ministers (GoM) at its meeting Feb 3 deciding that the pictorial warning should be carried on both sides of the packet, the government notification only provided for this on the front.

P.C. Gupta, director of the Healis Sekhsaria Institute for Public Health, said: "It is most unfortunate that the GoM, since its constitution in early 2007, had delayed the implementation of the law for two whole years, not to mention having diluted the stronger warning for a milder one."

According to a health ministry official, the pictorial warnings are a crucial step to protect the public from the hazards of tobacco and second-hand smoke, and to reduce the use of tobacco by the youth। Read more

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TambakooKills News Bulletin
Thursday, 7 May 2009
Issue-576

#366

From: tambakoo.kills@...
Date: Tue May 12, 2009 5:05 am
Subject: Anti-tobacco awareness campaign in Puzhal jail

Anti-tobacco awareness campaign in Puzhal jail
The New Indian Express, Chennai, Tamil Nadu

[To read this news in hindi language, click here]
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EXCERPT:
About 500 inmates of the Puzhal Prison were sensitised about the ill-effects of tobacco consumption through folk music, Villu Paatu, by famous artiste Subbu Arumugam and his troupe here on Sunday.

The programme was conducted by the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine on the prison premises. The inmates of the Central Prisons at Coimbatore, Salem, Tiruchy and Vellore too participated in the programme through video conferencing. DGP Prisons R.Nataraj told The New Indian Express that the idea of educating prisoners about the ill-effects of tobacco consumption was mooted by former President A P J Abdul Kalam.

Nataraj said Tamil Nadu was the only state in India where tobacco use was completely banned inside the prison campus. Though the inmates didnot have access to tobacco, there was a need to bring in awareness of substance abuse, he said, and added that Villu Paatu was used as the most effective therapy to spread any message. Such awareness programmes would help in bringing about a conscious change in the mindset of the inmates, said Nataraj.

Dr S Elango, Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, said prevalence rate of smoking was very high in India. According to WHO, 40% children, 57% adult males and 11% adult females smoke. Read more
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TambakooKills News Bulletin
Tuesday, 12 May 2009
Issue-577

#367

From: tambakoo.kills@...
Date: Wed May 13, 2009 5:38 am
Subject: Hookah bar raids: All smoke, no fire

Hookah bar raids: All smoke, no fire
The Times of India, Ahmedabad, Gujarat

[To read this news in hindi language, click here]
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EXCERPT:
Some 25 unregistered hookah bars in the city have closed down after police authorities announced raids against them for breaking various laws. Sources, however, said many of them may soon restart as there are no clear guidelines governing them.

The raids started on Sunday and extended till Monday. "On Sunday night, we wanted to raid a hookah bar at a mall near Manav Mandir, but it was closed, like all other such establishments. We had tip-offs about illegal hookah bars operating in the city, but many have downed shutters overnight," said BK Jha, deputy commissioner of police.

All the raids were conducted on restaurants with hookah bars in rented premises. "Hookah bars often fetch three times the rent and that becomes the lure for shop owners," said police officials.
But cops can't keep them closed for long. A health licence for a restaurant and a building use (BU) permission from Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) is all they require to start such bars.

Hookah bars had shut down for nearly six months in 2005 when raids were first conducted against them. Bar owners had met the then police commissioner KR Kaushik, who had come out with a set of norms: The restaurant should have more than 30 seats, should have a separate smoking zone and minors should not be allowed entry. Read more

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TambakooKills News Bulletin
Wednesday, 13 May 2009
Issue-578

#368

From: tambakoo.kills@...
Date: Thu May 14, 2009 6:51 am
Subject: Virginia tobacco prices set new record

Virginia tobacco prices set new record
The Hindu, Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh

[To read this news in hindi language, click here]
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EXCERPT:
For the first time in the northern light soils (NLS) of the State, the Virginia tobacco broke its own record of Rs.150 per kg on Wednesday. It touched Rs. 150.40 per kg on the two floors at Jangareddygudem, while the price remained Rs. 150 at the other three floors of Koyyalagude, Devarapalli and Gopalapuram, which are adjacent to East Godavari and fall in the west.

"This is the highest ever price paid to Virginia tobacco in Andhra Pradesh. On the other hand, Karnataka also completed auctions and the maximum price there was Rs. 159.40 per kg with the average price per kg being Rs. 109.80," said V. Manmatha Rao, Regional Manager of Tobacco Board in Rajahmundry. He said the production in the NLS was estimated at around 53 million kg this season and 15.16 million kg had been sold so far at an average price of Rs. 107.68 a kg. On the whole, 78.34 million kg of tobacco had been sold in the State at an average price of Rs. 96.37 a kg. The authorised crop size in the State is 170 million kg and estimated production would be around 200 million kg this season. Keeping in view the past records, the board is reluctant to go for surplus in view of high prices, according to Mr. Rao.

When asked the reason for the steep rise in prices, Mr. Rao attributed it to the shortfall in production in the international market and the political crisis in Zimbabwe which hit the crop production there. Read more

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TambakooKills News Bulletin
Thursday, 14 May 2009
Issue-579

#369

From: tambakoo.kills@...
Date: Thu May 14, 2009 7:29 am
Subject: Growing demand to release Binayak Sen, repeal draconian Law

bobbyramakant

Growing demand to release Binayak Sen, repeal draconian Law
[To read this posting in Hindi language , click here ]

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Across the country, citizens have taken to the streets on 14 May 2009 demanding the release of 'Jonathan Mann Awardee for Global Health and Human Rights' (2008) Dr Binayak Sen, who is a well-known paediatrician and human rights defender in Chhattisgarh, and has completed two years of imprisonment on 14 May 2009 in a Raipur prison on false charges of abetting Maoist activity in Chhattisgarh, sedition, and waging war against the State.

In Lucknow, India, a candle light vigil is being held in the nerve centre Hazratganj to further up the pressure in favour of Dr Binayak Sen. Many civil society organizations including Uttar Pradesh Voluntary Health Association (UPVHA), Vatsalya, Sahayog, Health-Watch, Samadhan, Asha Parivar, National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM), Lok Rajniti Manch (People's Politics Front - PPF) have jointly called for the release of Dr Sen.

This committed advocate of civil liberties has spent over three decades in the service of some of the poorest and most underserved communities and raised his voice relentlessly against atrocities in the State of Chhattisgarh. The imprisonment of Dr Binayak Sen is symbolic of gross injustice and violation of democratic values by the State and the suppression of the voices of human rights defenders.

Last year, twenty-two Nobel laureates from around the world had appealed to the Indian government to allow Dr Binayak Sen to receive the 2008 Jonathan Mann Award for Global Health and Human Rights in person at the end of May 2008. But Indian government denied the permission and Dr Sen's wife had received the coveted global health award on his behalf.

Dr Binayak Sen of Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India, who has helped establish a hospital serving poor mine workers in the region, founded a health and human rights organization that supports community health workers in 20 villages, and is the general secretary of the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), has been imprisoned in Raipur for two years now without trial as a result of unproven allegations that he was a naxal courier. Not only Dr Sen denies committing any crime, but his lifetime contribution to strengthen democracy and fight for the most underserved communities defies such accusations.

The PUCL-Chhattisgarh Unit, with Dr. Binayak Sen's active leadership as its General Secretary, had exposed the government sponsored so-called campaign Salwa-Judum in Chhattisgarh which legitimizes extra-constitutional violence and pits adivasis against adivasis.

The activists demand:
- immediate grant of bail to Dr Binayak Sen because there is no concrete evidence which state has been able to produce against him in past two years. No witness has testified against him or incriminated him in the alleged charges.
- that the draconian Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act should be repealed in the undercover of which grotesque human rights violations take place in the state.
- the winding up of Salwa Judum

Hope the citizen's voice reaches their own representatives in the power corridors.

Stop abuse of media in elections!

Sign the petition now! Click here

#370

From: tambakoo.kills@...
Date: Fri May 15, 2009 5:23 am
Subject: Tambakoo-Kills This-Week: 11-15 May 2009

Myths & beliefs regarding Consumer behaviour during recession

Tambakoo-Kills This-Week: 11-15 May 2009
Issue-580
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The Tambakoo-Kills This-Week provides a weekly snapshot of five major news pieces on Indian tobacco control.
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Display of `No Smoking' board in public places suggested
A "No Smoking" board should be displayed in all public places, including government offices, according to D.S. Hosamani, psychologist of anti-tobacco cell at District Hospital in Gulbarga. In a press release issued here on Monday, Mr. Hosamani said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Services of the Union Government has banned smoking in all public places from October 2008. He said a circular to this effect was issued on May 30, 2008. (Source: The Hindu) Read more

ITC joint venture Nepal's second highest tax payer
Despite growing labour trouble, tobacco giant ITC's joint venture in Nepal remains one of the top tax payers in the Himalayan republic, coming second after the state-run Nepal Telecom. Surya Nepal, ITC's joint venture with British American Tobacco and private Nepali shareholders including members of Nepal's former royal family, was the second-highest tax payer in 2007-08, according to Nepal's apex bank Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB). In the previous fiscal, too, it had the same spot. (Source: The Hindu) Read more

Hookah bar raids: All smoke, no fire
Some 25 unregistered hookah bars in the city have closed down after police authorities announced raids against them for breaking various laws. Sources, however, said many of them may soon restart as there are no clear guidelines governing them. The raids started on Sunday and extended till Monday. "On Sunday night, we wanted to raid a hookah bar at a mall near Manav Mandir, but it was closed, like all other such establishments. We had tip-offs about illegal hookah bars operating in the city, but many have downed shutters overnight," said BK Jha, deputy commissioner of police. (Source: The Times of India) Read more

Virginia tobacco prices set new record
For the first time in the northern light soils (NLS) of the State, the Virginia tobacco broke its own record of Rs.150 per kg on Wednesday. It touched Rs. 150.40 per kg on the two floors at Jangareddygudem, while the price remained Rs. 150 at the other three floors of Koyyalagude, Devarapalli and Gopalapuram, which are adjacent to East Godavari and fall in the west. (Source: The Hindu) Read more

In an economy as tough as this, it pays to question the received wisdom. The number of `facts' circulating about how consumers behave during a recession appears to be correlated to the number of self-appointed experts desperately searching for those elusive green shoots of recovery. Here, Marketing attempts to debunk some of these widely held beliefs. (Source: The Economic Times) Read more

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This is produced by TambakooKills youth team, coordinated by Indian Society Against Smoking (ISAS)

#371

From: tambakoo.kills@...
Date: Fri May 15, 2009 10:17 am
Subject: Police chief issues notifications for hookah bars

Police chief issues notifications for hookah bars
The Times of India, Ahemdabad, Gujarat

[To read this news in hindi language, click here]
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EXCERPT:
Now hookah bars will have to instal CCTVs in their premises. City police commissioner SK Saikia on Thursday issued a notification in this regard. Apart from installation of CCTVs, the new set of regulations include asking the hookah bar owners to set up a transparent enclosures with proper lighting for smoking hookahs. Also, periodic inspection of the bars will be conducted by local police.

Apart from transparent enclosure, there should be a single room and not different rooms or cabins. The room should be well-lit and passageway also lit properly. Dimly-lit ambience will be considered illegal. In addition to security arrangements, CCTVs will be installed for surveillance of the area and recordings made by the cameras would be submitted to the area police station periodically.

To check the age of the customers, the bar owner should have proper system to record the age with documentary proof such as driving licence, election card or passport. A separate ledger should be maintained to record the number and identity of customers who come to the hookah bar. Every fortnight, the inspector would check the flavours used in hookah and send it to the forensic laboratory for testing. Any untoward case would be directly reported to deputy commissioner of police of the zone, the notification says. Read more

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TambakooKills News Bulletin
Friday, 15 May 2009
Issue-581

#372

From: tambakoo.kills@...
Date: Tue May 19, 2009 5:56 am
Subject: Cigarette smoke can prevent allergies

Cigarette smoke can prevent allergies
The Times of India, Health Page

[To read this news in hindi language, click here]
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EXCERPT:
A study of mouse cells shows that cigarette smoke can prevent allergies by decreasing the reaction of immune cells to allergens.

Smoking can cause lung cancer, pulmonary disease, and can even affect how the body fights infections. But along with many harmful effects, smoking cigarettes has a surprising benefit - they can protect smokers from certain types of allergies.

A study recommended by Neil Thomson, a member of Faculty of 1000 Biology and leading expert in respiratory medicine, demonstrates that cigarette smoke decreases the allergic response by inhibiting the activity of mast cells, the major players in the immune system's response to allergens.

Researchers at Utrecht University (Netherlands) found that treatment of mast cells with a cigarette smoke-infused solution prevented the release of inflammation-inducing proteins in response to allergens, without affecting other mast cell immune functions, said an Utrecht release.

The mast cells used in the study were derived from mice, but it is likely that the same anti-allergy effect will hold true in humans. These findings were published in the journal of Clinical and Experimental Allergy. Read more

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TambakooKills News Bulletin
Tuesday, 19 May 2009
Issue-582

#373

From: tambakoo.kills@...
Date: Thu May 21, 2009 4:46 am
Subject: �Gutkha� infuses life into Kannauj�s itra industry

`Gutkha' infuses life into Kannauj's itra industry
The Pioneer, Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh

[To read this news in hindi language, click here]
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EXCERPT:

Tobacco may be injurious to health but it has infused a new lease of life into the dying itra industry of Kannauj ensuring jobs to about one lakh people in the region and also helping the state to earn a revenue of over Rs 8,000 crore. Iitre (perfume) is used to douse the caustic smell of tobacco in `gutkha', thus making it more palatable for the consumers.

"Thanks to `gutkha' the itra industry of Kannauj is alive and vibrant. Had not this tobacco-based industry supported us, we would have wound up business long time back," President, Itra Udyog or Perfume Industry, Brij Bhushan told `The Pioneer'.

Chewing raw tobacco leaves is a common practice in India. Generally, known as `surti', tobacco is mixed with lime rubbed and chewed in a raw form. It was in 1980s, when tobacco consumption took a new shape with `Pan Parag' making entry into the market.

After that many other scented tobacco products were launched under different names and brands. The rustic `surti' gave way to the urbane aromatic `gutkha', sold in small colourful sachets and at a price as low as Re 1. As chewing tobacco became a fashion as well as a habit, it gave an impetus to the tobacco industry, which in turn increased the demand of itra.

"Over 80 per cent of the itra produced in Kannauj goes to the `gutkha' industry while the rest is used in the cosmetic industry," Brij Bhushan said. Kannauj's perfume industry is the largest in the country. The modest-looking town generates a turnover of Rs 800 million annually, a major chunk of which is through exports.

And perfume making is almost a cottage industry here with every second house making some form of the aromatic material or other. The entire town seems to be involved in the trade � directly or indirectly. Over 100,000 people are employed in the perfume industry today.

The itra industry in Kannauj, was almost on the verge of closure after artificial perfume thronged the Indian markets। In early 1990s, with the advent of liberalisation, foreign perfumes entered the Indian market giving a deadly blow to the ancient perfume industry of the country. "The flower-based itra, manufactured in a traditional way, is very costly as compared to the chemical based perfumes. When cheap perfumes were present in the market, the itra business was slowly pushed back," Surendra Goswami, a perfume manufacturer said.

The itra industry faced another hiccup when sale of `gutkha' was banned in 2003 by the state government. "That was a bad phase when many of our farmers went jobless and they shifted base. Maharashtra, which is the biggest producer of tobacco products, closed doors on us and thus we were left high and dry," Mahesh Sharma, office- bearer UP Itra Udyog said. "Things changed after the government lifted the ban on `gutkha' and we are back in business," he added. Read more

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TambakooKills News Bulletin
Thursday, 21 May 2009
Issue-583

#374

From: tambakoo.kills@...
Date: Wed May 27, 2009 7:45 am
Subject: ADVOCACY CARD: The burden of tobacco

bobbyramakant

The Burden of Tobacco
[To read this advocacy card in Hindi language , click here ]

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(1) Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of disease and death in the world. According to the World Health Organization, each year 5.4 million lives are lost all over the world because of tobacco use.

(2) Out of these 9 lakh deaths occur in India alone. 2500 Indians lose their lives each day because of tobacco use.

(3) India has the highest number of oral cancer cases in the world and 90% of all oral cancers are tobacco related and 40% of all cancers in India are due to tobacco use.

(4) It is estimated that by 2010, nearly 10 lakh people will die because of smoking in India and it is predicted that by 2020 tobacco will account for 13% of all deaths in India.

(5) According to the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS), 2006, 5500 Indian youth start smoking every day.

(6) Health cost of tobacco related diseases are greater than the income generated from tobacco. According to a new study the direct medical cost for treating diseases related to smoking cigarettes, bidis etc., in India is 907 million US dollars (4535 crore rupees) and for smokeless tobacco products like gutkha, zarda and khaini, this cost is 285 million US dollars (1425 crore rupees).

To download or read it in Hindi language, go to: http://tambakookills.blogspot.com/2009/05/blog-post_6650.html

To download or read it in English language, go to: http://tambakookills.blogspot.com/2009/05/burden-of-tobacco.html

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Credits: this advocacy card is published and distributed by Indian Society Against Smoking (ISAS), Asha Parivar. We acknowledge the financial contribution received from Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco use and technical contribution received from HRIDAY on behalf of Advocacy Forum for Tobacco Control - AFTC (Delhi).

Address: C-2211, C-Block Crossing, Indira Nagar, Lucknow-226016. India. Ph-fax: 2358230
Email: ramakant@..., website: http://tambakooKills.blogspot.com

#375

From: tambakoo.kills@...
Date: Thu May 28, 2009 8:01 am
Subject: ADVOCACY CARD: Strong Public Support for Pictorial Health Warnings

bobbyramakant

Strong Public Support for Pictorial Health Warnings- Evidence from India
[To read this advocacy card in Hindi language , click here ]

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A study was conducted to determine the opinion of general public towards implementation of pictorial warnings on cigarette packs in India. This study was conducted in the households and colleges in different localities of Mumbai city. 712 people above the age of 15 years participated in the study.

Results:
� More than 90% people were aware that smoking causes serious health problems and it actually kills.
� Almost 90% were aware of health warnings on cigarette packs and 97% were of the opinion that pictorial warnings should be displayed on cigarette packs in India.
� 88% people strongly agreed that the health warning now proposed by the government should be improved to convey very serious diseases caused by tobacco, like cancer.
� Almost 85% people wanted strong warnings on cigarette packs to be displayed immediately.
� 68% people showed high concern for the delay in implementation of the law pertaining to pictorial health warnings.
� With pictorial health warnings:
- 32.4% respondents felt, non-smokers will think twice before starting smoking,
- 31.5% felt, smokers will think of reducing smoking,
- 23% felt, smokers will think of quitting smoking

Policy Recommendations

� Effective enforcement of current warnings on all tobacco packs.
� The current warnings must be field tested to assess their effectiveness amongst all strata of society to determine if they effectively communicate the actual health impact of tobacco use.
� The current warnings have to become stronger in the next round of rotation. These needs to be stronger in terms of size and content of pictograms.
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To download or read this advocacy card in English language, go to: http://tambakookills.blogspot.com/2009/05/strong-public-support-for-pictorial.html

To download or read this advocacy card in Hindi language, go to: http://tambakookills.blogspot.com/2009/05/blog-post_7447.html

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This study was conducted by Healis Sekhsaria Institute of Public Health, Mumbai, a member organization of the Advocacy Forum for Tobacco Control (AFTC)

Credits: this advocacy card is published and distributed by Indian Society Against Smoking (ISAS), Asha Parivar. We acknowledge the financial contribution received from Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco use and technical contribution received from HRIDAY on behalf of Advocacy Forum for Tobacco Control - AFTC (Delhi).

Address: C-2211, C-Block Crossing, Indira Nagar, Lucknow-226016. India. Ph-fax: 2358230
Email: ramakant@..., website: http://tambakooKills.blogspot.com

#376

From: tambakoo.kills@...
Date: Fri May 29, 2009 12:39 pm
Subject: Pictorial Health Warnings on all Tobacco Products in India from May 31, 2009

bobbyramakant

Pictorial Health Warnings on all Tobacco Products in India from May 31, 2009
[To read this posting in Hindi language , click here ]
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India would be joining the league of public health champions by implementing pictorial health warning on all tobacco product packages from May 31, 2009, which also coincides with World No Tobacco Day and its theme "Show the Truth, Picture Warnings Saves Lives".

Pictorial health warning labels effectively communicate the risks of tobacco use. Extensive research from across the globe has established that effective health warnings increase knowledge about risks associated with tobacco use and can decrease intentions to use tobacco among vulnerable youth and persuade tobacco users to quit. Graphic warnings have a greater impact than text-only ones and can be recognized by low-literacy audiences and children-two vulnerable population groups. The warnings have been introduced in several developing and countries such as Thailand, Singapore, Brazil, Chile, South Africa and others.

According to Ms. Monika Arora, Director-HRIDAY (Health Related Information Dissemination Amongst Youth), a member NGO of AFTC (Advocacy Forum for Tobacco Control), engaged in youth centric tobacco control awareness and advocacy campaigns, and Convenor AFTC- "To save lives of millions of people from tobacco related deaths and diseases, AFTC has been instrumental in undertaking collaborative advocacy campaign with Parliamentarians at the center for effective implementation of pictorial health warnings on all tobacco products. As a run up to the World No Tobacco Day, which also coincides with India's deadline to implement pictorial health warnings on tobacco products, AFTC has undertaken a concerted advocacy campaign in 12 states of India to advocate this issue at the state level by interacting with policy makers, opinion makers and general public. AFTC is advocating for support from these important stakeholders at each state level to support effective implementation of pictorial health warnings in India through effective enforcement and monitoring procedures and emphasizing the need for stronger, field tested health warnings in the next round due in May 2010."

Indian Society Against Smoking (ISAS) on behalf of a coalition of 56 pan-India organizations working for tobacco control in India, the AFTC, has released an information package to state level policy makers, opinion makers and leading regional newspapers. This package comprises of cards with pertinent information regarding burden caused by tobacco in India, international obligations and global best practices and also scientific data that pictorial health warnings have proved to be in interest of public health, in the countries wherever they have been implemented.

The intent of the AFTC advocacy campaign is to support the effective implementation of the current notified warnings as well as to implement stronger warnings in the next round. The present set of notified warnings are mild, diluted (occupies 40% of the front panel) and moreover they are not field tested. India requires stronger and field tested warnings to reduce tobacco related deaths and diseases.

#377

From: tambakoo.kills@...
Date: Sat May 30, 2009 3:24 am
Subject: ADVOCACY CARD: Large comprehensive pictorial warnings more effective

bobbyramakant

Size of Pictorial Warnings: Large and Comprehensive Warnings are more effective
[To read this advocacy card in Hindi language , click here ]
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International Best Practices

Australia
Front: 30%
Back: 90%

Brazil
100% either of the sides

Canada
Front: 50%
Back: 50%

Thailand
Front: 50%
Back: 50%

UK
Front: 43%
Back: 53%

Size of Pictorial Warnings: International Best Practices
� 60% New Zealand (30% of front, 90% of back)
� 56 % Belgium (48 % of front, 63% of back, including border)
� 56 % Switzerland (48 % of front, 63% of back, including border)
� 52 % Finland (45% of front and 58% of back, including border
� 50 % Singapore (50 % of front and back)
� 50% Uruguay (50 % front and back)
� 50 % Chile (50 % front and back)
� 50 % Venezuela (100% of either front or back)
� 48 % Norway (43 % of front, 53 % of back, including border)

Indian Scenario
Pictorial Warnings previously notified by the Government
Strong and effective � field tested

In the earlier set of rules, pictorial warnings covered 50 % of the front and 50% of the back on all tobacco products.

Pictorial Warnings coming into force from May 31, 2009
Mild and weak � not field tested

As per the new rules notified on May 3, 2009, pictorial warnings would be displayed only on the 40% of the principal display area of the front panel of all tobacco packs.

International Obligation: India ratified the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the first international public health treaty of the World Health Organization (WHO) in February 2004 and is a Party to the convention. According to FCTC, the deadline for India to implement pictorial health warning was February 27, 2008. But still the tobacco products in India do not carry any pictorial health warnings. Also FCTC recommends 30 % as minimum size of display of pictorial health warnings i.e. 30% front and 30% back, which India has again not complied with.
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To download or read this advocacy card in Hindi language , go to: http://tambakookills.blogspot.com/2009/05/blog-post_7723.html

To download or read this advocacy card in English language , go to: http://tambakookills.blogspot.com/2009/05/size-of-pictorial-warnings-large-and.html

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Credits: this advocacy card is published and distributed by Indian Society Against Smoking (ISAS), Asha Parivar. We acknowledge the financial contribution received from Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco use and technical contribution received from HRIDAY on behalf of Advocacy Forum for Tobacco Control - AFTC (Delhi).

Address: C-2211, C-Block Crossing, Indira Nagar, Lucknow-226016. India. Ph-fax: 2358230
Email: ramakant@..., website: http://tambakooKills.blogspot.com

#378

From: tambakoo.kills@...
Date: Sat May 30, 2009 3:42 pm
Subject: Strictly enforce smoke-free policies! Quit tobacco before it's too late

bobbyramakant

Strictly enforce smoke-free policies!
Quit tobacco before it's too late
[To read the posting in Hindi language , click here ]
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There was a growing consensus to strictly enforce smoke-free policies at the public symposium organized by the department of Surgery, Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Medical University to mark the World No Tobacco Day. Vice Chancellor Prof (Dr) Saroj Chooramani Gopal and Justice Shabibul Hasnain were the chief guests, and Superintendent of Police (SP) City Harish Kumar was the guest of honour.

"Scientific evidence has unequivocally established that tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke causes death, disease and disability. There is clear scientific evidence that prenatal exposure to tobacco smoke causes adverse health and developmental conditions for children. Secondhand smoke exposure causes heart disease and lung cancer in nonsmoking adults. Nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke at home or work increase their heart disease risk by 25�30% and their lung cancer risk by 20�30%.There is no risk-free level of secondhand smoke exposure. India enforced the ban on smoking in public places on 2 October 2008 and we must join hands to implement it effectively" said Prof (Dr) Saroj Chooramani Gopal.

"Effective pictorial warnings can save lives" said Professor (Dr) Rama Kant, Head of Surgery Department, CSMMU and a World Health Organization (WHO) International Awardee for the year 2005 on tobacco control.

"Pictorial health warnings are most effective way of broadcasting health messages across wide spectrum of population about the adverse health effects of tobacco use. Pictorial warning labels detract from the glamour and appeal of tobacco products and help to create an environment where `tobacco-free' is the norm" said Prof Rama Kant.

"Effective warning labels increase knowledge about risks associated with tobacco use more effectively than text-only warnings. In a country like India where one-third of the population is illiterate, pictorial warnings can communicate health messages effectively and prevent uptake and motivate tobacco user to quit" further added Prof Rama Kant. "Countries with strong and effective pictorial warnings are experiencing major reduction in tobacco use" explained Prof Rama Kant.

However in India the pictorial warnings that are going to be implemented from 31 May 2009 are mild, weak and not field tested, said Professor (Dr) Rama Kant. As per the new rules notified on May 3, 2009, pictorial warnings would be displayed only on the 40% of the principal display area of the front panel of all tobacco packs (only ONE side of tobacco pack).

"Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of disease and death in the world. According to the World Health Organization, each year 5.4 million lives are lost all over the world because of tobacco use. Out of these 9 lakh deaths occur in India alone. 2500 Indians lose their lives each day because of tobacco use. India has the highest number of oral cancer cases in the world and 90% of all oral cancers are tobacco related and 40% of all cancers in India are due to tobacco use" said Dr Vinod Jain, Assistant Professor in Surgery department, CSMMU, and Vice-President of Indian Medical Association (IMA) Lucknow.

Posters on grow without tobacco theme were also displayed. An elocution engaging school students against tobacco took place as well. Many NGOs including Bharat Vikas Parishad, UP Voluntary Health Association, Abhinav Bharat Foundation, Samadhan, Asha Parivar, Indian Society Against Smoking (ISAS) and others too part.
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To download or read in Hindi language , go to: http://hindi-cns.blogspot.com/2009/05/blog-post_8559.html

To download or read in English language , go to: http://www.citizen-news.org/2009/05/strictly-enforce-smoke-free-policies.html

#379

From: tambakoo.kills@...
Date: Mon Jun 1, 2009 5:34 am
Subject: New tobacco warnings may take a month

New tobacco warnings may take a month
The Hindu, Kolkata, West Bengal

[To read this news in hindi language, click here]
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EXCERPT:
According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare notification, all packaging of tobacco products must carry pictorial warnings with effect from Sunday, but experts here say it may take a month for them to actually appear on the shelves.

"Strictly according to the law, you should not have any of the old stock being sold from May 31 itself, but at least we can be assured that the manufacturing of the old packaging will stop," Dr. S. Mittal, senior consultant for the WHO Tobacco Free Initiative in West Bengal, said on Sunday.

The tobacco industry has stated that it has inventory to clear, which may take about a month, but if any packet is manufactured after May 31 without the pictorial warning, both the manufacturer and seller would be liable for prosecution, Dr. Mittal added.

Awareness campaign

With regard to the implementation of the notification, Dr. Mittal said the Health Department would carry out an awareness campaign for the police, excise and customs officials, who are responsible for enforcing it. She also hoped that the State's 20-member task force, which has been formed to implement the ban on smoking in public places, would provide their inputs.

To raise awareness about the pictorial warnings, the State Tobacco Control Cell organised a poster-making competition for students of 500 schools in the city on the theme of health warnings on tobacco products on Sunday.

Good response
"We had a great response from the children, which is important because the pictorial warnings are specially targeted towards the youth," said Sutapa Biswas, executive director, Cancer Foundation of India, co-organisers of the event.

"We are hopeful that the warnings will help reduce the consumption of tobacco, especially among the youth, but there is a vast unorganised sector that where packaging is not necessarily involved. In India bidis, khaini, and so on, are sold loose which won't come under the notification. However, it is still a big step," Ms. Biswas added. Read more

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TambakooKills News Bulletin
Monday, 1 June 2009
Issue-591

#380

From: tambakoo.kills@...
Date: Tue Jun 2, 2009 5:44 am
Subject: Govt's anti-tobacco move hits roadblock

Govt's anti-tobacco move hits roadblock
The Pioneer, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

[To read this news in hindi language, click here]
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EXCERPT:
With enforcement of pictorial warnings on tobacco products, the government has taken the initiative to curtail a major cause of disease and death in the world. However, like all good work meets a dead end when it comes to implementation, this one too has hit a logjam at the brasstacks.

An appalling case in point is that of the defunct State Tobacco Control Cell (STCC) in UP which was set up to dissuade people from consuming tobacco products and monitor implementation of 'shun-tobacco' Acts.

Headed by a director level Health department official, the cell has not held any meeting since its inception two years back. Its district counterpart, the District Tobacco Control Cell (DTCC), has proved equally unworthy.

The STCC, headed by director (Medical Care) NP Singh, has not met for the past two years. Ironically, the cell which has been allotted a room at Swasthya Bhawan has also failed to attract any visitors. At the district level, the DTCC is headed by District Magistrate Chandra Bhanu while Chief Medical Superintendent (CMS), Balrampur Hospital, Dr RB Agrawal is the nodal officer.

Social activist JP Sharma, who runs Uttar Pradesh Voluntary Health Association (UPVHA), claimed that he had met officials concerned for convening a meeting of the cell but in vain. Sharma said: "Surprisingly, the nodal officer urged us to pursued senior officials for convening a meeting of the cell. Without any meeting, the tasks associated with tobacco control are suffering."

The cells are also responsible for monitoring the much publicised Ban on Smoking at Public Places Act-2008 in their jurisdiction. The cells in their domain will also fix signages displaying that smoking is an offence in the area. "We hardly find any signage at government offices. The union government has provided 500 signages at all districts. It is a pity none of them have come up at places to create awareness," rued Sharma.

Going by the apathy of the administration, it will not come as a surprise if the rules under Cigarettes and other Tobacco Product Act 2003 are openly violated. The monitoring for the pictorial warnings on tobacco products will also suffer with no follow up at local level, the experts opined.

On his part, DM Chandra Bhanu remarked: "It is matter of utmost priority and I will ensure that the cell becomes effective. A meeting will be convened at the earliest and the Act will be followed in letter and spirit." Read more

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TambakooKills News Bulletin
Tuesday, 2 June 2009
Issue-592

#381

From: tambakoo.kills@...
Date: Thu Jun 4, 2009 10:33 am
Subject: �Law alone cannot help in enforcing smoking ban�

`Law alone cannot help in enforcing smoking ban'
The Hindu, Hubli, Karnataka

[To read this news in hindi language, click here]
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EXCERPT:
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Jagadish Shettar has said that the unless the implementation officers carried out their job effectively, it would not be possible to enforce the ban on smoking in public places.

He was inaugurating the "Free Tobacco De-addiction Camp" organised by Manas Institute of Mental Health in association with Cipla Respiratory and Vishwa Madhwa Parishat as part of World No Tobacco Day here on Wednesday. He said promulgation of law only would do little in checking the addiction to smoking and chewing tobacco.

Mr. Shettar said that it was alarming to note the growing addiction to smoking tobacco and chewing gutkha among the youth. There was need for a comprehensive approach to tackle the problem, he said.

"Although banning use of gutkha was required, any move to ban it would lead to stiff opposition from producers of arecanut. The government should involve the stakeholders to find solution to the problem," he said.

Sri Raghuvirananda Swamiji of Ramakrishna Vivekananda Ashrama said the work of creating awareness on the ill-effects of tobacco should begin at the school-level.The swamiji said there was also need for inculcating "environmental sense" among children and a comprehensive change in the education system. Read more

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TambakooKills News Bulletin
Thursday, 4 June 2009
Issue-594

#382

From: tambakoo.kills@...
Date: Fri Jun 5, 2009 10:11 am
Subject: Tambakoo-Kills This-Week: 1-5 June 2009

Govt's anti-tobacco move hits roadblock

Tambakoo-Kills This-Week: 1-5 June 2009
Issue-595
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The Tambakoo-Kills This-Week provides a weekly snapshot of five major news pieces on Indian tobacco control.
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New tobacco warnings may take a month
According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare notification, all packaging of tobacco products must carry pictorial warnings with effect from Sunday, but experts here say it may take a month for them to actually appear on the shelves। (Source: The Hindu) Read more

For smokers, it's just another day
For smokers, it was just another day, as the World No Tobacco day did not deter them from puffing away in public। While NGOs and other organisations organised several programmes in the city to make people aware of its ill-effects, those who smoke cared two hoots about it and were seen smoking in parks, market areas and other public places. (Source: The Tribune) Read more

Still no warnings on cigarette packs
The Union health ministry directive that all tobacco products sold in the country carry pictorial warnings from May 31, went almost unimplemented in large parts of Chennai on Sunday। (Source: The Times of India) Read more

With enforcement of pictorial warnings on tobacco products, the government has taken the initiative to curtail a major cause of disease and death in the world. However, like all good work meets a dead end when it comes to implementation, this one too has hit a logjam at the brasstacks. (Source: The Pioneer) Read more

Tobacco products still sell without pictorial warning

It was the same story on Day Two. No violators were fined across Tamil Nadu for sale of tobacco packs without the mandatory pictorial warning. Health department officials, who, until May 30, had said they would initiate strong action against violators, now say they will not impose fines on manufacturers or retailers till June 15. (Source: The Times of India) Read more

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This is produced by TambakooKills youth team, coordinated by Indian Society Against Smoking (ISAS)

#383

From: tambakoo.kills@...
Date: Sat Jun 6, 2009 5:31 am
Subject: Dental clinics to act as counseling centers for tobacco users

Dental clinics to act as counseling centers for tobacco users
The Hindu, New Delhi, Delhi

[To read this news in hindi language, click here]
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EXCERPT:
Addicted to tobacco? A visit to a nearby dental clinic might soon help you ease out your dependence on nicotine. As part of an anti-tobacco initiative by the Indian Dental Association (IDA), at least 5,000 dental clinics across India will be enabled to double up as counselling and intervention centres for those hooked to tobacco.

The initiative has been launched so as to catch patients at the right time and pursue a "scientific approach" to help them get rid of their addiction, the IDA said. "For the past 30 years we have seen loads of money invested into awareness campaigns not yielding results, and the habit of tobacco consumption has gone up 60 per cent in the last decade itself," said IDA Secretary General Dr Ashoke Dhoble.

"As telling people about health hazards associated with tobacco has not helped, we have decided to address the difficulty faced by people in quitting consumption," he said. As part of the programme, applications have been invited from volunteering dentists to spot such cases and act as interventionists.

"Dentists are the first people tobacco addicts approach seeking help for addressing foul mouth smell and discolouring of teeth. So we thought they could act as interventionists and work at the pre-addiction stage," Dhoble told PTI. The dental association will be launching 5,000 Tobacco Intervention Initiative Centres (TIIC) across the country in the next two years. Fifty-six TIICs were set up across Maharashtra this week.

The programme will require voluntary dentists to clear an online exam to test whether they have sound knowledge of the problem before giving them certificates to operate intervention centres and on clearing the exam they will receive an orientation at NIMHANS, Bangalore on how to go about the process.

"The dentists, besides touching on the issues of cancer and heart problems for tobacco consumers, will focus on counselling them to end their addiction," Dhoble said. The members of the initiative will be allowed access to a central website, where they can register their observations, compile data and seek help from experiences of other members. International organisations will also be allowed to seek data and observations from the central website that might also act as a database for research work, he said. Read more

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TambakooKills News Bulletin
Saturday, 6 June 2009
Issue-595

#384

From: tambakoo.kills@...
Date: Mon Jun 8, 2009 6:11 am
Subject: Smoking, drinking increase risk of TB: Study

Smoking, drinking increase risk of TB: Study
New Indian Express, Chennai, Tamil Nadu

[To read this news in hindi language, click here]
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EXCERPT:
It is a disease that affects thousands across the country and yet gets negligible attention. India as a country has 25 per cent of the world's tuberculosis cases, a statistic that according to experts is only increasing. To date, the disease remains a major cause of death in rural India.

In a study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology this month, it was found that smoking and drinking significantly increased the risk of pulmonary tuberculosis.

The study analysed 1,839 men and 870 women in the Tiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu all of whom had been treated in state-run TB clinics between the years 2000 and 2003. Of these, a majority of the men had both smoked and drank while none of the women had. About 81.5 per cent of the men who were diagnosed with new cases of pulmonary TB were smokers, while the figure for a control group of participants was only 55.2 per cent.

Director of the Epidemiological Research Centre Dr Gajalakshmi Vendhan, who is one of the authors of the study, said that they found a high percentage of men who smoked beedis which the study found to independently increase the risk of TB, severe enough to warrant treatment.

"We found that 71 per cent of men in the age group 35-64 smoked only beedies. The average number smoked by them per day is 17,'' she said. Cigarette smokers of the same age group, were found to be considerably less at only 28 per cent and the average number of cigarettes smoked was seven a day, she said. The results found that people who smoked had a 2.2 more chance of contracting the disease than those who did not. The risk increased to 2.4 if the smoked product was beedies. Read more

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TambakooKills News Bulletin
Monday, 8 June 2009
Issue-596

#385

From: tambakoo.kills@...
Date: Tue Jun 9, 2009 5:30 am
Subject: ITC : VAT a blow!

ITC : VAT a blow!
Business Standard, Mumbai, Maharashtra

[To read this news in hindi language, click here]
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EXCERPT:
The Maharashtra government's decision to impose a value- added tax of 20 per cent on cigarettes has come as a bit of a blow for ITC which closed 4 per cent lower on Monday at Rs 184. The fairly sharp rise of nearly 8 per cent may prompt ITC to increase prices in a bid to neutralise the effect of the higher tax.

That could hurt volumes in the state �which contributes around 9 per cent to ITC's total volumes-- though it's hard to tell how much they will fall. The financial impact of the higher VAT in Maharashtra may not be very significant for the company --analysts point out that it would need to take a price hike of just 0.6 per cent across the portfolio to offset the increase.

However, what's worrying is that other states could follow suit, especially bigger states such as West Bengal and Kerala, whose budgets are due later this month. The Street is also apprehensive that excise duties on cigarettes may be hiked in the coming budget and once again, if ITC needs to raise prices, volumes could be hit.

Analysts believe that an excise duty hike of more than 5 per cent would be detrimental to volumes in the long run. ITC discontinued selling non-filter cigarettes following the sharp increase in duties in the last budget which was partly why volumes came off by 2.5-3 per cent in 2008-09.

Although the company has been diversifying into new areas, cigarettes account for around 40 per cent of sales while they fetch around 85 per cent of the profit before interest and tax. The ITC stock has underperformed the BSE Sensex by about 40 per cent since the start of the year. That's not so surprising because investors have been discarding defensives in their search for growth and value especially post the election results.

In fact, since early March when the markets started rallying, fund managers have been looking for value stocks. ITC's earnings were expected to grow by about 17-18 per cent in the current year but those numbers may not materialise, say analysts. Read more

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TambakooKills News Bulletin
Tuesday, 9 June 2009
Issue-597

#386

From: tambakoo.kills@...
Date: Wed Jun 10, 2009 5:26 am
Subject: Catching �em young way to check tobacco abuse

Catching 'em young way to check tobacco abuse
The Hindu, New Delhi, Delhi

[To read this news in hindi language, click here]
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EXCERPT:
A project conducted by Health Related Information Dissemination Amongst Youth (HRIDAY) in collaboration with the School of Public Health at the University of Texas has shown the effectiveness of a comprehensive school-based intervention programme in reducing tobacco use among urban Indian youth.

The results of the intervention were published recently in the American Journal of Public Health titled "Preventing tobacco use among young people in India: Project mobilising youth for tobacco-related initiatives in India". The report has compiled the results of the programme conducted among school children in the age group of 11-16 years in 32 schools of Delhi and Chennai.

The project is aimed at assessing the effectiveness of a two-year multi-component school-based intervention designed to reduce tobacco use among India adolescents. The objectives of the intervention were to influence environmental factors (social norms, role models, social support, opportunities) and intra-personal factors (knowledge, values, meanings, belief and skills) that predict tobacco use among urban Indian youth. The intervention included classroom-based lessons, peer leadership activities, parental education and school posters over two years.

Decrease in intention

Public Health Foundation of India president K. Srinath Reddy said: "Adolescence is a period during which acceptability and peer reinforcement of tobacco use typically increases and the point at which experimentation occurs is generally predictive of tobacco use. The intervention resulted in a decrease of 11 per cent in intentions to smoke by students in the intervention schools whereas the intentions increased by 5 per cent in the control schools. The study also reported significant differences in students' social, environmental and intra-personal factors for tobacco use." Read more

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TambakooKills News Bulletin
Wednesday, 10 June 2009
Issue-598

#387

From: tambakoo.kills@...
Date: Wed Jun 10, 2009 8:33 am
Subject: Govt tables paper banning surrogate ads on tobacco, alcohol

bobbyramakant

Govt tables paper banning surrogate ads on tobacco, alcohol
Rediff/ PTI News, 10 June 2009
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In a bid to prevent surrogate advertising of alcohol and tobacco products on television, the government has tabled a paper in Parliament to implement various provisions to this effect.

The government's move is aimed at implementing the provisions incorporated in the Cable Television Network Rules 1994 to prevent surrogate advertisements of alcohol and tobacco products on TV.

Introduced by Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni in both Houses of Parliament on Tuesday, the paper suggests that if 'a product that uses a brand or logo, which is also used for promoting cigarettes and tobacco products, then the visual of the advertisement should depict only the product being advertised and not prohibited products in any form or manner.'

The paper, citing the proposed rules in connection with the matter, also says that 'advertisement must not make any direct or indirect reference to the prohibited products.'

In addition, the advertisement must not contain any nuances or phrases promoting prohibited products, and also the commercial must not use situations typical for promotion of prohibited products when advertising other products.

The above mentioned rules were issued through a Gazette notification by the ministry on February 27 this year, and were included in the existing provisions of the Cable Television Network Rules 1994, titled as Cable Television Network (Amendment) Rules 2009.

Online at: http://business.rediff.com/report/2009/jun/10/govt-tables-paper-banning-surrogate-ads.htm