Tobacco Control

Cancer continues to claim millions of lives in India, but tobacco consumption which is responsible for about 40 percent of cancer cases in the country is the single largest preventable cause of the disease, doctors said here on Saturday. Besides avoiding tobacco and alcohol, cancer risk can be cut down through lifestyle changes, balanced diet and regular health check-ups, experts said at a seminar organised as part of the 'Jagega Bharat Toh Bachega Bharat' campaign by the Ambagopal Foundation here. "One in five men and one in eight women in India are at risk of developing cancer, due to changing lifestyles, environmental degradation, and lack of awareness. While cancer continues to claim millions of lives, it is largely preventable if individuals adopt healthier lifestyles, avoid tobacco and alcohol consumption, maintain a balanced diet, and undergo regular health check-ups," oncologist Dr Anil D'Cruz said. Tobacco consumption remains "the single largest preventable cause of cancer"

According to a Korean study conducted on 5.3 million people, the heart may take several decades to match the condition of non-smokers naturally after quitting smoking

The Union health ministry has proposed mandatory display of "non-skippable" anti-tobacco health spots of at least 30 seconds and audio-visual disclaimer on ill-effects of tobacco use for 20 seconds on OTT platforms as soon as one starts streaming them. The ministry recently released draft amendments for anti-tobacco rules for over-the-top (OTT) platforms. According to the draft norms, all films of Indian and foreign origin irrespective of their CBFC certification status published and released on or after September 1, 2023 will have to display anti-tobacco health spots of minimum 30 seconds duration each at the beginning and middle of the movie. It also proposed displaying anti-tobacco health warnings as prominent static messages at the bottom of the screen during the scenes that show use of tobacco products in all content. "The Cigarette and other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Amendment Rule

It is never an easy task to quit smoking, and food can play a vital role in combating tobacco addiction. Here is a list of foods to help you fight tobacco addiction

World No Tobacco Day 2024: The world observes No Tobacco Day every year on May 31 for spreading awareness about its potential risks

World No Tobacco Day is marked every year on 31 May by the WHO. The day is committed to spreading awareness about the harmful impacts of tobacco and the need to decrease its consumption

Telangana govt has banned the manufacture, storage, distribution and sale of gutka and pan masala containing tobacco and nicotine in the state for one year in public interest

The government has extended the deadline for implementation of special procedure for registration and monthly return filing of manufacturers of pan masala, gutkha and similar tobacco products till May 15. Earlier in January, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) had announced the introduction of a new registration and monthly return filing procedure effective April 1, 2024. The move to overhaul the registration, record-keeping, and monthly filing of such businesses was aimed at improving GST compliance for manufacturers of pan masala and tobacco products. The GST law was also amended via Finance Bill 2024, to say that manufacturers of pan masala, gutka and similar tobacco products will have to pay a penalty of up to Rs 1 lakh, if they fail to register their packing machinery with the GST authorities with effect from April 1. However, this penalty provision is yet to be notified. The procedure was to be applicable for manufacturers of pan-masala, unmanufactured tob

Speaking about this in the House, Health Minister Dinesh Gundurao warned that cigarettes cannot be sold to people under the age of 21 years from now on

Only once before in the organisation's 75-year history has the WHO managed to agree such an accord, and that was a Tobacco Control treaty in 2003

The central government sent legal notices to actors Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn and Shah Rukh Khan for endorsing tobacco companies in response to a petition

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday proposed raising the legal age that people in England can buy cigarettes by one year, every year until it is eventually illegal for the whole population and smoking will hopefully be phased out among young people. Setting out his plan at the annual Conservative Party conference, Sunak said he wanted to stop teenagers taking up cigarettes in the first place." It is currently illegal for anyone to sell cigarettes or tobacco products to people under 18 years old throughout the UK. Sunak's office said the incremental changes would stop children who turn 14 this year and those younger than that now from ever legally being sold cigarettes in England. If Parliament approves the proposal, the legal change would only apply in England not in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. People take up cigarettes when they're young. Four in five smokers have started by the time they're 20," he said. Later, the vast majority try to quit ... if we could bre

To curb tobacco use, India in May ordered streaming platforms to insert static health warnings during smoking scenes and at least 50 seconds of anti-tobacco disclaimers at the start

It is shameful that Indian film stars appear in pan-masala advertisements

The government should scrap the amendment made to display anti-tobacco warnings on content on entertainment apps as it is impractical to implement the rule, advertisement guru Prahlad Kakkar said on Friday. The health ministry on May 31 notified amendments in the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Amendment Rules, 2023. The rule mandates the inclusion of anti-tobacco health spots, warnings and disclaimers by publishers of online curated content or OTT Platforms in audio-visual programmes depicting the use of cigarettes and tobacco products. "I think it is impractical. I do not think it is applicable or effective or practical. There is no question of rolling back. it is about scrapping," Kakkar said during a panel discussion organised by a think tank. He said that the rule has been made to curtail OTT platforms. Kakkar alleged the government of adopting double standards and s

The Union health ministry's latest move mandating anti-tobacco warnings for OTT platforms did not involve any consultative process with the industry prior to notification, IAMAI has said flagging "fundamental concerns" and "practical difficulties" in implementation of the new norms. The industry body has highlighted the practical impossibility associated with including such warnings across content. The amount of content being commissioned in India and licensed from within India and around the world is very high, IAMAI said, adding, "to create and incorporate multiple health spots, audio-visual disclaimers and warnings in multiple languages for the same piece of content poses significant logistical issues". The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) has cautioned that the rules will significantly impact consumer viewing experience, and "throttle creativity and artistic expression". The newly-notified rules make it mandatory for OTT platforms to display anti-tobacco warnings

A survey of calls received by the central government's National Tobacco Quit Line Services (NTQLS) has shown that most of the tobacco quitters in the country are from Uttar Pradesh. The survey findings were released by the Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute (VPCI) on 'World No Tobacco Day' observed on May 31. The VPCI survey based on NTQLS data revealed that 71,39,473 interactive voice response (IVR) calls were received till April 30, 2023 since May 30, 2016. Out of the total number of IVR calls received by this centre, 20,43,227 calls were counselled, including 9,96,302 inbound calls, 26,80,657 outbound calls, and 3,91,160 registered by the call centre. Most of the callers were from the state of Uttar Pradesh, it said. According to the survey, 1,56,644 (40 per cent) individuals studied had successfully given up tobacco use. Of these, the maximum 1,23,508 calls were received from Uttar Pradesh. Dr Raj Kumar, director, Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute said, I would like to work wi

The new rules also prohibit OTT companies from displaying brands of cigarettes or other tobacco products or any form of tobacco product placement

On the occasion of World Tobacco Day the Union Health Ministry has notified new rules that mandate audio-visual warning in OTT content

According to the World Health Organization, the theme of 'World No Tobacco Day 2023' is "We Need Food, Not Tobacco." This annual event takes place on May 31