Issue 10
Tobacco Control in India
Fortnightly News Summary
NATIONAL HEADLINES
♦ When Lalu Prasad realised chewing khaini is a 'bad
habit'
The spotlessly clean railway stations in Japan put
Railways Minister Lalu Prasad in a bit of a spot - he
couldn't find a place to spit the red juice of khaini, a
tobacco mixture he loves to chew, and realized it had
become a "bad habit". 'I realised chewing khaini had
become a bad habit during my recent visit to Japan,' Lalu
Prasad said here Friday. (Source: Yahoo News: 24 January 2009)
♦ India tobacco exports surge 46 pct in Apr-Dec
India's tobacco exports surged 46 percent to $543.6
million in first nine months of fiscal 2008/09, as output
cuts in Europe forced overseas buyers to source more
produce from the country, a senior official said. (Source:
Reuters India: 29 January 2009)
♦ Tobacco stubbing out in public, govt to demarcate
special zones for smokers
Almost four months into the ban on smoking in public
places, the Delhi government plans to take it a step
forward by demarcating space for smoking and no-
smoking in public areas such as restaurants, pubs and
airport lounges. The guidelines, which government
officials say are as per international standards, are set to
be implemented in time for the Commonwealth Games in
2010. (Source: Indian Express: 28 January 2009)
♦ Further dilution of pictorial tobacco warnings feared
The Group of Ministers (GoM) in India will again meet to
assuage concerns of tobacco lobby on pictorial warnings,
health activists apprehend. This group of ministers (GoM)
consists of: Pranab Mukherjee (External Affairs Minister),
Kamal Nath (Commerce and Industry Minister),
Priyaranjan Dasmunsi (former Information and
Broadcasting Minister), S Jaipal Reddy (Urban
Development Minister), Dr Anbumani Ramadoss (Health
and family welfare Minister), and Oscar Fernandes (labour
and employment Minister for state). (Source: Thai-Indian News:
23 January 2009)
♦ Tobacco exports jump 13% on global demand
Tobacco shipment from India, the third-largest exporter in
the world, surged by 61% to Rs 2,428 crore till December
2008 on better price realizations and weakening rupee
against the dollar. Prices of tobacco skyrocketed to a
record average of Rs 84.85 per kg during auctions in
Andhra Pradesh in 2008 against Rs 47.47 the previous
year. (Source: The Economic Times: 26 January 2009)
♦ 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
17-30 January 2009
STATE HEADLINES, Uttar Pradesh
♦ Farmers take up tobacco farming in Uttar Pradesh
Despite increasingly pervasive anti-tobacco legislation
and tax structures to discourage tobacco consumption,
farmers in Uttar Pradesh have taken up tobacco
cultivation. Significant numbers of farmers in Gorakhpur
region of the state are resorting to tobacco cultivation
more vigorously after prices of the commodity-hit spurt at
domestic and international markets. The tobacco traders
are also happy at the development as more and
morefarmers take up tobacco farming in the region.
(Source: News post online, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh: 29 January 2009)
♦ Smoking and consumption of tobacco products
Smoking and consumption of tobacco products are a
bane of society as they are truly dangerous for public
health. It may not be possible to ban this malaise
completely, yet it should be discouraged. There is already
a law banning smoking in public places, and rightly so. All
out efforts need to be made to save our future generation
from the poison of cigarette smoke. (Source: Hindustan,
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh: 28 January 2009)
♦ Deadline talks: Anti tobacco drive into thick smoke
“The implementation of pictorial health warnings has got
delayed or diluted every time the GoM has met so far.
Perhaps it is the lack of will” says Bobby Ramakant, a
World Health Organization (WHO)'s WNTD Awardee
2008. “The government in deferring the pack warnings
has not only dishonored its international commitment but
also undermined the health of its over 1 billion citizens.
The timing of this meeting to be held in New Delhi on the
eve of election is feared to once again derail the already
diluted pictorial warnings on tobacco products” he says on
Thursday. (Source: Hindustan Times, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh: 23
January 2009)
♦ Further dilution of pictorial warnings feared
The Group of Ministers (GoM) in India will again meet to
assuage concerns of tobacco lobby on pictorial warnings,
health activists apprehend. This group of ministers (GoM)
consists of: Pranab Mukherjee (External Affairs Minister),
Kamal Nath (Commerce and Industry Minister),
Priyaranjan Dasmunsi (former Information and
Broadcasting Minister), S Jaipal Reddy (Urban
Development Minister), Dr Anbumani Ramadoss (Health
and family welfare Minister), and Oscar Fernandes (labour
and employment Minister for state). (Source: Citizen News
Service, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh: 23 January 2009)
♦ A vow to quit smoking
A nonpolitical organization, headed by Sri.
R.K.Chaturvedi, committed itself to work towards
eradicating corruption from public life. Members of the
organization took a solemn oath on the pious occasion of
the Hindu festival of Makar Sankranti, to rid society of the
ills of alcohol and smoking addiction as well as of corrupt
practices. The effects of smoking on human health are
serious and in many cases, deadly. There are
approximately 4000 chemicals in cigarettes, hundreds of
 Issue 10
which are toxic. (Source: United Bharat, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh: 19
January 2009)

Provided by the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use