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

of ban on tobacco chewing and smoking,
which finally culminated in declaring the
whole district as Smoking Free.
While giving an overview of the compliance
monitoring study conducted by JK VHADA,
District coordinator of NGO Mohammad
Altaf Dar said at 3500 public places in the
district including educational institutions,
government offices, public parks, hospitals,
smoking has been banned.
“Besides, all the smoking signages have
either been removed or defaced in the
district with the help of administration
and Food and Drug Control Organisation”,
he said while giving a presentation on
compliance monitoring study by the JK
VHADA.
The study revealed of the 352 sample
public places visited, the signage boards
depicting “No Smoking Area-Smoking here
is an offence” were found at 321 places. At
the remaining 31 places, no signage boards
were seen.
Deputy Commissioner Budgam Mohammad
Rafi said the district is known for the
negatives but it has many positive
potentials as well.
Stating that the district is not averse
to change, he said Budgam people have
always welcomed positive change. “Though
Budgam is backward in education sector
but we are making strides in this sector
also. The implementation of COTPA and
declaring Budgam as Smoke Free district
is one such step. This will help in a long
run,” he said.
Minister of Science and Information
Technology and MLA Budgam Aga Ruhullah,
who was also chief guest on the occasion,
took a public pledge that he will try to quit
smoking.
Source: Rising Kashmir, Srinagar, 29 th January, 2012
Bid to scuttle tobacco warning
NGOs have claimed that recent reports
suggesting that one of the pictorial
warnings for tobacco products resembles
footballer John Terry could be an attempt
by the manufacturers to scuttle the pictorial
warnings once again.
In a recent RTI filed by the Voluntary
Health Association of India (VHAI), the
issue was brought to the notice of Union
health ministry earlier in November by
Philip Morris, manufacturer of the leading
cigarette brand Marlboro. “However,
digging the issue once again now could
be a deliberate move by the manufacturers
to put the warnings in trouble.” According
to the representatives of the VHAI, even
as the letter by Philip Morris mentioned
that pictures notified by the government
for smoking form of tobacco products
“bears a close resemblance to English
soccer player John Terry, the ministry had
clarified then itself that pictures for the
health warnings were being developed by
Directorate of Audio Visual Publicity (DAVP)
in consultation with them and the pictures
were mere sketches and did not relate to
any person living or dead.”
“Further the cigarette company has the
option to choose any one picture out
of the set of four each of lung and oral
cancer. Since the images are blurred and
sketchy such resemblance can be attributed
to scores of people,” the RTI said.
Bhavna Mukhopadhyay, VHAI Executive
Director, said, “The tobacco lobby is trying
to create unnecessary confusion to derail
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January - March & April - June 2012