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

“The adverse health effects of tobacco
consumption is dependent on (the)
quantity of consumption, type of tobacco
consumed, duration of consumption and any
other associated health condition of the
insurance applicant,” LIC said. “Depending
on these factors, while large numbers of
customers are accepted without any extra
premium, some of the applicants may be
charged higher premium.”
Public health specialists campaigning against
tobacco said the investment was unethical
because it was against the principle that
governments should not invest in tobacco,
enshrined in an international convention
to which India is a signatory.
“On the one hand, India incurs a cost
of nearly Rs 10,000 crore each year from
tobacco-related health expenses, on the
other, LIC invests Rs 3,600 crore in tobacco,”
Prakash Gupta, director of the Sekhsaria
Institute of Public Health, Mumbai, said in
a statement.
Source: The Telegraph, New Delhi, 12 October, 2011
International News
Gulf countries adopt graphic
warnings
From April 2012, six Gulf countries will
display graphic warnings on tobacco
packages illustrating the effects of smoking
cigarettes and shisha. Bahrain, Kuwait,
Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United
Arab Emirates are members of the Gulf
Cooperation Council (GCC) Standardisation
Organization (GSO), which adopted the
labelling standard on 9 August 2011.
The warnings will depict different illnesses
and cancers caused by smoking, and cover
50 percent of the packages’ front and back,
with an Arabic warning on the front and an
English warning on the back.
Misleading terms like “light”, “mild”, “low
tar” and “extra light” will also be banned.
There will be two specific warnings for
shisha (water pipe) tobacco. The new
standard will replace the old one, which
covered only about 16 percent of the
package’s front.
Source: Gulf Times, 1 st January, 2012
Tough new smoking fines
AUSTRALIA’S toughest anti-smoking
provisions are to be policed by just two
people.
Tasmanian Minister for Health Michelle
O’Byrne released details of widened antismoking
legislation which will come into
force from 29 th February, 2012. People who
smoke in smoke-free areas risk an on-thespot
fine of at least $260 with the maximum
for an offence is $2600.
But there are to be just two State Government
tobacco control officers statewide who
would enforce the toughened requirements.
The State Government says the Director of
Public Health Roscoe Taylor also had the
power to empower people to carry out the
same duties, and police and some council
officers could enforce smoke-free areas.
Both Hobart City Council and Tasmania
Police said no infringements have been
issued to smokers since the introduction
of smoking bans in August 2010. The
widened law makes all outdoor dining area
smoke free from March 1,2012 with other
provisions including making smokefree
pedestrian malls and bus malls, and within
three metres of covered bus shelters; all
outdoor areas of public swimming pools,
n 71
January - March & April - June 2012