Breaking New Grounds in Tobacco Control - Voluntary Health ...

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This Republic Day, Budgam declared first Smoke Free District in Jammu & Kashmir Budgam is the first district in Jammu & Kashmir to be declared Smoke Free on 26 th January, 2012. The declaration was a result of the joint interventions of VHAI, J&K VHADA and the District Administration supported by the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases under the PAT & APPLE III project. The findings of the survey conducted by the District Statistics and Evaluation Department revealed that nearly 91.1% of the public places in the district displayed the ‘No Smoking’ signage and a strong enforcement mechanism has been institutionalized. The declaration was done by Shri Ghulab Hassan Mir, Honourable Minister for Agriculture, J&K at a public event that was also attended by other important dignitaries such as the District Development Commissioner, Budgam, Senior Superintendent of Police, Chief Education Officer and the Chief Medical Officer. The programme witnessed the presence of number of government officials, law enforcers, media representatives, civil society representatives and citizens of Budgam District. In the last year, various output-oriented interventions activities were conducted which included liaison and workshops with concerned stakeholders, awareness campaigns, community involvement, etc. Simultaneously, technical support was provided to institutionalize a sustainable enforcement mechanism up to the block level. The Department of Education has also declared all Education Institutions under it as “Tobacco Free Institutions”. To honour the District Administration of Budgam a special programme was organized on 28 th January, 2012 in Srinagar where Honourable Minister for Information & Technology, Shri Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi was the Chief Guest. The programme witnessed excellent media participation which included senior editors & correspondents from all the leading print and electronic media in J & K. As a result, the declaration and event news got extensive coverage across the state.
Editorial Tobacco use has emerged as one of the foremost causes of preventable death and disease today. It poses a greater public health challenge for India, which took a leadership role in the formulation and ratification of the WHO FCTC in 2003, the first international treaty for public health, ratified by 174 members so far. The Government also enacted the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003 (COTPA), which partly fulfilled India’s treaty obligations. The Act was applicable to the whole of India. However, in the years that followed, implementation and enforcement of this law was not effective across the country. The key reason was low priority accorded to tobacco control by policymakers and lack of knowledge on the issue, resulting in laxity in enforcement. The few achievements that did come in the area of smoke free and pack warnings were a result of judicial orders following legal advocacy by civil society . In addition, the WHO FCTC also enlisted key strategies to control supply of tobacco to combat illicit trade, initiate alternative livelihoods for tobacco workers and ban sale of tobacco products to and by minors, all of which left a lot to be achieved. It seemed like a promise that had given way to despair … However, in the last couple of years, some momentous steps have been taken by state governments and civil society to break new grounds in controlling the tobacco menace. Many states have declared their cities and districts as smoke free across the country. New, stronger picture health warnings have been implemented through continuous civil society pressure despite delay and challenges by industry and vested interests and tax advocacy has proved to be a big success with taxes increased on tobacco products in 11 states. Though burdened with several bottlenecks, new policy initiatives have come into force on banning sale of tobacco to minors, ban on gutka and regulating tobacco use and display in films. This apart, the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) currently operational in 21 out of 35 states and Union territories, is looking at expanding and scaling up interventions in all districts across the country. A path-breaking advocacy campaign has also begun by tobacco victims themselves. Two small but noteworthy programmes by civil society to help bidi workers to move to safer, viable livelihood options and enable rural women to quit tobacco have begun to show some positive results. Most importantly, our judiciary and the media have become significant allies in the advancement of tobacco control. All these developments signify a new hope and herald a new chapter in tobacco control campaign efforts by Government, civil society and key stakeholders. And this is what the present special issue of Health for the Millions has attempted to capture through the different features by a range of experts, health activists and public health advocates. We sincerely hope that this issue is a useful resource for public health organizations, civil society advocates and state level partners working on tobacco control as well as newer NGOs, and activists who want to begin work in this very crucial area towards building a tobacco free India! Bhavna B. Mukhopadhyay
Page 1: Jan.-Mar. & Apr.-June 2012, Vol. 38
Page 5 and 6: Addressing Gaps in Legal Provisions
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Page 19 and 20: Background Tax Advocacy in Tobacco
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Page 25 and 26: Introduction Enforcing Smoke Free R
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• • • • media coverage nati
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counselor and client, the more succ
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At the first follow-up meeting, aft
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Research News Feature: Summary of R
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• • • • The complex tax str
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553 billion bidis were consumed in
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• • Quartiles of exposure to to
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National News Smokeless tobacco cla
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of ban on tobacco chewing and smoki
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in Shahjahanpur, Jhunjhunu and Gola
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“The adverse health effects of to
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entertainment (28 per cent), follow
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Orientation to Vietnam Parliamentar
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Cancer Caused by Tobacco and Non-to
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Standards (Prohibition and Restrict
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Advocacy Package on Tobacco Control
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