Have self restrictions for tobacco control: Centre

Mumbai, Sep 14: Declaring the Centre's plan to set up a Tobacco Regulatory Authority as part of its tobacco control initiatives, Union Health Minister A Ramadoss today asked the film industry to consider self-restrictions or a model code of conduct to stop smoking scenes in movies.

Addressing a media conference here, Dr Ramadoss said several requests made by his ministry to the film industry representatives to curb smoking scenes were met with little success.

''Filmmaker Mahesh Bhat has challenged the Union Health Ministry's decision to ban smoking scenes in films. The next hearing is on September end. The Information&Broadcasting Ministry and the Union Health Ministry will soon file a joint petition at the end of this month regarding controlling smoking scenes'', the minister informed.

Giving details of the number of mechanisms suggested in the joint petition, Dr Ramdoss said the petition stresses the need for a screening committee which would review smoking scenes in films and the makers would have to present themselves before the committee to clarify on why they are bringing such scenes.

Similarly, the artist who is shown smoking should go public before and after the film that smoking was injurious to health.

Films with smoking scenes be given ''A'' certificate. Lastly, a scroll that smoking was injurious to health be shown when the scene is being screened, he said.

Categorically stating that he was not against the film industry, the minister said he would like to meet and discuss the issue with the representatives if they wish to do so. ''Artistes like Amitabh Bachchan and others are doing yeoman service in polio erradication and Hepatities. In Tobacco control too, actors should come forward'', he added.

Studies reveal that 52 per cent of the children take up smoking just because their screen idols do so, the minister said and added that 89 per cent of movies have smoking scenes, 76 per cent of the lead actors smoke on screen.

Dr Ramadoss said Tamil superstar Rajnikant had positively responded to his request not to be involved in smoking scenes on screen. ''His last release Chandramukhi which is a runaway success did not have a single smoking scene'', he recalled. Speaking about the proposed Tobacco Regulatory Authority, the minister said it would play the role of lobbying on taxation policies and co-ordinating with state governments, NGOs for enforcement of Tobacco control laws.

Dr Ramadoss said Mumbai could be a model city for Tobacco control if like New York and Manhattan, the authorities hike the cost of cigarette packs. ''In Manhattan, the cost of a cigarette pack is 10 dollars when elsewhere it is five dollars. Similarly, in Mumbai the cost can be Rs 50 per pack from the present Rs 27,'' he said.

To a question on whether tobacco could be banned across the country, he said, ''it is a question of time. Right now, we are not in a position to do it no matter how quickly I would like to do it personally. The proper mechanism including alternatives has to be debated and discussed''.

The minister said a notification banning tobacco and nicotin in food products would be issued soon.

Announcing that the 14th World Conference on Tobacco or Health would be held in Mumbai in February 2009, the minister said tobacco was the biggest killer being the cause of 40 per cent of all health problems. ''The entire tobacco industry is worth Rs 35,000 crore which kills five million of its consumers every year. The use of tobacco is growing in developing countries. Out of the five million deaths, one million is in India alone,'' he pointed out.

Over 2,500 international tobacco control leaders representating more than 130 countries will meet in Mumbai during the conference to address the global tobacco burden and the increase in tobacco deaths worldwide. The Salam Bombay Foundation, Healis Sekhsaria Institute of Public Health, Action Council against Tobacco will organise the conference in association with the Union and the state government and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

UNI