Govt to ban smoking scenes in movies, pictorial warning on Cigs

New Delhi, May 31: Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss today said the government would set up an Authority for the effective implementation of Anti-tobacco legislation, reduce subsidy on tobacco products and issue a notification making it mandatory for all cigarette boxes and Gutkha pouches to have pictorial warning about their harmful effects.

Talking to reporters after addressing a Roundtable Meet to mark the World No-Tobacco Day, Dr Ramadoss said soon a ban on the depiction of smoking scenes in movies would be in place as the health ministry and the Information and Broadcasting Ministry have reached a consensus on the issue.

He said both the ministries would notify the Apex Court, where the matter is pending, that a consensus have been reached on a ban on movies and television channels depicting scenes of smoking and use of other tobacco products. This would go a long way in reducing the use of tobacco which kills about one million people annually in the country, he said.

As per the consensus arrived a Committee would be formed which would screen every movie and television programme to ensure that they do not have smoking scenes. If the Committee finds that the smoking scene is necessary from the ''artistic point of view,'' then the film would have an advisory against smoking before the screening, in between and after the movie, he said. The actor, performing the smoking scene would also need to state that smoking its injurious for health. For old movies having smoking scenes the advisory against smoking would be made mandatory. He informed and hoped that all these steps would greatly reduce depiction of smoking in movies and on television.

As the written warning on Cigarrette boxes has been found to be insufficient in deterring people from smoking, the government would bring a notification in August this year making it mandatory that about 50 per cent of the advertisement space on cigarrette packets and other products should have pictorial warning depicting how smoking casuses cancer of mouth and other organs and their harmful effect on pregnant mother and unborn child.

He said that after notification, tobacco industry would be given six months time so that they could ensure its implementing. The health ministry would also give awards to those individuals and organisations who are doing anti-tobacco work.

Lamenting the low enforcement of the anti-tobacco legislation in the country, he said that wider participation of people especially consumer groups and NGOs was required for its enforcement.

Dr Ramadoss said the proposed Authority against tobacco would be responsible for the enforcement of the Anti-Tobacco law and monitor its implementation. It would run programmes for containing the use of tobacco in the country and set up Monitoring Labs for testing of tobacco products. The government would provide financial assistance to the authority and coordinate with it for the implementation of the Act.

Dr Ramadoss said that he has also moved a Cabinet note on trade and taxation policy on tobacco which would have very wide ramification on the tobacco industry in the country. It would be deliberated by the cabinet, especially Finance Ministry and then the Prime Minister, before a final decision is taken.

The Note has recommended gradual withdrawal of the subsidy for tobacco industry and give alternate method of livelihood to farmers engaged in tobacco cultivation. They could be encouraged to take up growing medicinal plants as these are similar to tobacco in many respects and the trade in medicinal plants is going to be worth five trillion dollars in the next few decades, he said.

Dr Ramadoss said enforcement of the provision for regulating nicotine and tar contents of all tobacco products is also proposed. The government would be initiating the process of developing a National Tobacco Control Programme to ensure effective implementation of tobacco control initiatives, he added. These measures are necessary as one million people die due to tobacco annually. It is estimated that half of the long term smokers will be eventually killed by the habit and of these half will die during the productive middle age, the Health Minister informed.

According to Indian Council of Medical Research, as of 1999 the number of tobacco related cancer was 1.63 lakh cases, coronary artery diseases due to tobacco use was 44.5 lakh and obstructive lung disease cases due to tobacco use were 39.2 lakhs, he pointed out. Besides death, disease and deformities, tobacco costs unnecessary expenditure of Rs 30,833 crore per annum on diagnosis, treatment, loss of wages due to diseases.

In view of the high morbidity and mortality due to tobacco use the world over, the World Health Organisation commemorates May 31 as the World No Tobacco Day and this year's theme is 'Tobacco: Deadly in any form or Disguise,' he said.

The Roundtable on Tobacco organised by the Consumer Organisation VOICE is aimed at developing a strategy to effectively implement the Anti-Tobacco act by educating consumer organisations about its provisions so that they could claim compensation on behalf of victims who are at present financially burdened due ot non-implementation of law, VOICE CEO Bejon Misra said.

UNI