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War Against Tobacco: ECONOMIC BENEFITS Vs SOCIAL WELFARE, By Dr.S.Saraswathi, 29 April, 2016 Print E-mail

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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