Lessons Learnt From Legislative

Actions to Control Tobacco Use in

India
The History
 The Portuguese introduced
tobacco to India 400 years
ago

 Established the tradition of

tobacco trade in their colony
of Goa

 Two hundred years later the

British introduced
commercially produced
cigarettes to India

 Established tobacco
production in the country
The Production
 India – 3rd largest grower of tobacco in the world, after China
and Brazil

 In 1992
 7% of the world's total unmanufactured tobacco
 14% of the world's total manufactured tobacco
 Cigarettes and Bidis (Traditional, leaf wrapped, unfiltered cigarettes)

 Bidi manufacturing
 Largest tobacco industry in India
 In 1998 - 858 billion Bidis
 Projected to reach 1031 billion by 2007

 India produces millions of pouches of chewing Paan Masala (betel quid)

with tobacco
World Map
Men Smoking
Women Smoking
Magnitude of the Problem

 1.1 billion people who smoke world wide,

182 million (16.6%) live in India

 Tobacco Use
 65% Men
 38% women consume tobacco
Varied Uses of Tobacco
 Two million people chew processed and roasted tobacco 30%
 Pan masala or guthka (a chewing tobacco containing areca nut)
 Mishri (a powdered tobacco rubbed on the gums as toothpaste)

 Cigarettes 20%

 Bidis 40%

 Tobacco is also used in the hookah ( a traditional water pipe)

 Chutta (a clump of tobacco smoked with the lighted end inside

the mouth)
Health Impact
 About 1,000,000 Indians die a year from
smoking related illness (5 million world wide)
 500,000 cancer
 500,000 other illnesses

 40% of all Health Problems are smoking

related

 By 2020 it is predicted that it will account for

13% of all deaths in India
The Industry

 Provides livelihoods to
 Over 6 million farmers
 20 million industry workers

 The Industry is about $ 8000 millions

 The Cost to the nation is about $ 9000

millions
The Future?
 Tobacco consumption continues to grow in
India at 2–3% per annum, and by 2020 it is
predicted that it will account for 13% of all
deaths in India

 USA 56 TO 24%

 Australia 56 to 8%

 India, China and Indonesia – Targeted by

tobacco industries
Tobacco legislation
 In the world – the demand reduction of
tobacco found via multipronged strategies

 Strategies include
 Raising taxes
 Information about adverse health effects of tobacco
use
 Health warnings
 Ban on ads and promotion
 Restricting smoking work places / Public places
History of Legislative Actions
 India’s anti-tobacco legislation at the national
level passed in 1975

 1975 legislation
 Insufficient
 Limited to health warnings
 All packages to carry the warning "Cigarette
smoking is injurious to health" in the same
language used in the branding on the package
The 2001 Bill

 Significant change in 2001

 The Indian Parliament introduced a
multifaceted tobacco control bill
 The Tobacco Products (Prohibition of
Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and
Commerce, Production, Supply and
Distribution) Bill of 2001

 Act Passed in 2003

The Tobacco Products Bill 2003
 It includes the following key demand reduction
measures
 Outlawing smoking in public places
 Forbidding sale of tobacco to minors (Under age 18
years)

 Requiring more prominent health warning

labels

 Banning advertising at sports and cultural

events
FCTC

 Significant role in the negotiation of the

WHO Framework Convention on
Tobacco Control (FCTC) February 2004

 It was the 20th Member State to ratify the

FCTC
Other Legislations
 Control of Pollution Act of 1981 included
smoking in the definition of air pollution

 The Motor Vehicles Act of 1988 made it illegal

to smoke or spit in a public vehicle

 The Cable Television Networks Amendment

Act of 2000 prohibited the transmission of
tobacco, liquor, and baby food commercials on
cable television across the country
States in India

 Many States in India enacted different

types of tobacco control legislations

 Delhi- the first State impose a ban on

smoking in public places

 Three other states followed

Other Measures
 The Indian Railways
 Banished them from the platforms and trains

 'No Smoking' boards in Government offices

 Imposing a fine of Rs. 500 for smoking in

 Enclosed public places
 And in Public transport
 Repeated offence
 Fine of up to Rs. 1,000
 Or three months’ imprisonment
The Present Government
 The Honorable Minister Dr Anbumani Ramadoss
 Efficiently and effectively steered the process of implementing
the related rules and regulations

 Ban on tobacco-smoking in public places

 Tobacco-related advertisements

 Restricting the access of youth to tobacco products

 Proposed a ban on the depiction of scenes of tobacco

consumption, or any kind of promotion of tobacco products, in
movies and on television
Pictorial Warnings
 The introduction by
India of graphic
warning labels on
bidis and smokeless
tobacco products
also serves as a
unique example for
other the countries in
the Region
Amended Bill
 In Monsoon Session, 2007 Indian Parliament
passed the Cigarettes and other tobacco
products (Prohibition of advertisement and
regulation of trade and commerce, production,
supply and distribution) Amendment Bill, 2007

 This new amended Bill enable the government

to make the depiction of the skull and cross
bones in packaging of all tobacco products as
optional
Awarded!

American Cancer Society awarded it the

prestigious Luther L. Terry Award, at the
13th World Conference on Tobacco or
Health held in Washington, DC, USA in
2006
Awards!

Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss, Minister of

Health and Family Welfare, received the
Special Award of the Director-General of
WHO for tobacco control
Deficiencies
 The Indian Government must also introduce policies
 To raise taxes
 Control smuggling
 Close advertising loopholes
 Create adequate provisions for the enforcement of tobacco
control laws

 Enforcement appears to be essential to success of

tobacco control and a much needed government
priority

 Pro-tobacco lobby is stronger – diluting the efforts

Actions needed for effective control
of tobacco use
 Comprehensive legislation
 Strong enforcement infrastructure regime
 Policy advocacy and campaign for favorable
policy making environment
 Support of international aid organizations
 Awareness programmers for parliamentarians
as they are policy makers
Be a Non Smoker!