Open Forum
New Delhi, 29 April, 2016
War Against Tobacco
ECONOMIC BENEFITS Vs SOCIAL WELFARE
By Dr.S.Saraswathi
(Former Director, ICSSR, New Delhi)
This year World No
Tobacco Day on 31st May is being greeted with a new set of norms
governing sale of cigarettes in India
issued by the Union Health Ministry even as it is all set to be celebrated with
religious faith and fervour like other such “Days”.
Think.
Cigarette is an industry-cum-trade in which sales management is expected to
discharge two diametrically opposite responsibilities: Promotion of the product
in the interest of tobacco cultivators and producers of tobacco goods. Two,
control of consumers in the interest of individual and public health. This strange combination is juxtaposed with a
warning through advertisement.
Undoubtedly,
this is a big challenge before society to eradicate smoking which is a habit
globally. India
is conversant with smoking for over 4000 years which started with the use of
cannabis and can be traced back to the Atharva
Veda. As a modern consumer item,
tobacco was introduced during the 17th century in the country. Add to this, India is a
prominent tobacco producing country.
Importantly,
the World Health Organisation (WHO) released very disturbing information early this
year wherein the economic burden caused by tobacco-related diseases in our
country goes up to a staggering Rs. 104,500 crores a year.
Consequently,
to reduce consumption in a cost-effective manner, WHO insisted on printing
large-size warnings on cigarette packets so as to create and increase public
awareness about hazardous health effects of cigarette smoking.
Shockingly,
over 12 per cent of world’s smokers are in India
and by 2030 70 per cent of tobacco-related deaths will occur in low and middle
income countries with India
recording the highest rate, predicts the World Bank. A recent study shows that
47 per cent Indian males and 14 per cent % females are tobacco users which is
likely to cause 13.3 per cent deaths by 2020.
According
to the Health Ministry’s new rules which came into force this month 85 per cent
of the display area on the cigarette packages should convey health warning
consisting of 60 per cent pictorial and 25 per cent textual message. The images should show frightening pictures
of cancer-affected throat and mouth due to tobacco consumption.
Notably,
India
has adopted WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Article 11 but
has not been following its terms fully.
This Article requires parties to cover all forms of combustible and
smokeless tobacco products with warnings filling at least 30 per cent and
preferably 50 per cent space on cigarette packages.
Recall,
a Government notification of October 2014 made it mandatory for tobacco
companies to display graphic health warnings on 85 per cent of the display
area. But the tobacco industry ignored
this and used only 40 per cent space on one side of cigarette packets for
warnings, translating effectively to a mere 20 per cent area on each side.
Resulting
in pushing the country down to Rank 136 among 198 countries on Cigarette
Package Health Warning just above nations which totally avoid all pictorial
warning, to rank 143 in the year 2014.
Pertinently,
contrast this with countries allocating larger space for pictorial warnings in Nepal 90 per cent, 85 per cent in Pakistan and Thailand,
83 per cent in Australia, 80
per cent in Sri Lanka and 75
per cent in Canada and Myanmar.
Indeed,
whether it is the presence of better health sense or absence of the tobacco
industry’s economic importance along-with tobacco cultivation on their national
economy are open to debate.
Alas,
India’s
inability to tackle tobacco associated economic problems like farmers’ suicide
has led to poor performance. Alongside, the tobacco industry has been depending
heavily on advertisements spending billions of dollars worldwide every year on
publicity, promotion and sponsorship.
Thus
a complete ban on all these as recommended by the World Health Assembly in May
2003 can substantially curb consumption, according to several health
authorities.
Remember,
statutory warning against tobacco use on cigarette packs was mandated under the
Cigarettes (Regulation of Production, Supply, and Distribution) Act 1975. In
2003 the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisements,
and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, and Supply and Distribution) Act applied
to cigarettes, cigars, bidis, gutkas and
pan masala containing tobacco and other products.
Moreover,
even as rules prohibit smoking in public places and sales near educational
institutions, smoking scenes in movies and TV are important non-commercial
promoters of tobacco. WHO estimated that tobacco is portrayed in 76 per cent of
Bollywood films.
More
scandalous, Tamil Nadu’s top film star is admired for his style and precision
in catching cigarettes and smoking technique in films. Such scenes not only
stimulate enthusiasm among youth and generate desire to emulate their
hero.
In
2005 a rule prohibited films and TV from showing actors and actresses
smoking. In 2008 smoking in public
places was prohibited long after the Supreme Court’s decision in 2001. In 2009
rules mandating pictorial warnings on use of tobacco were notified. Cable Television Network Regulation (Amendment)
Bill in force since 2000 completely prohibits cigarette and alcohol
advertisements. Several State
Governments banned hookah in hookah bars.
Indeed,
ban on advertisements is a global war strategy against tobacco willingly
adopted by many countries. Norway
and Finland
known for social welfare legislations are among the earliest to adopt legal ban
on tobacco sales promotion.
In
UK
the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act 2002 began with a ban on print media
and billboard advertising in February 2003 and within months followed it with
complete ban on direct marketing and sponsorship. The broadcast media too adopted the ban. China, where
one in every five is a smoker, also introduced tough legislations against
tobacco use.
Australia went ahead with a forceful
legislation in December 2012 under which all marketing and brand messages were
removed from packages and replaced with warnings of severe consequences of
smoking. Brazil is the
second country in the world and first in Latin America
to adopt mandatory warning images since 2001.
A
negative statement de-promoting tobacco as it “contains over 4,700 toxic
substances and nicotine which cause physical or psychological addiction ….there
are no safe levels for the intake of these substances” is mandatory. This message has the effect of preventing
adolescents from entering the tobacco ring along-with helping de-addiction of
chain smokers.
The
deterrent effect of anti-smoking advertisements on adolescents has been
established in UK. In India, counter-advertisement is
said to be effective in controlling cigarette consumption.
On
the other hand, a study covering sample students in Chennai and Delhi found that exposure
to visual media and cigarette advertising is highly correlated with increased
consumption, particularly among urban adolescents.
In
sum, in the age of global economic competition we need to intensify research
efforts on every aspect of tobacco industry to counter false propaganda and
bring out the truth. Simultaneously, agricultural research must find
alternative cultivation to help farmers switch over to other products with
ease.
Undeniably,
the war against tobacco cannot be reduced to a fight between economic benefits
and social welfare. ----- INFA
(Copyright, India
News and Feature Alliance)
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