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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Sushma's support against tobacco abuse sought

Sushma's support against tobacco abuse sought

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published Published on Apr 25, 2011   modified Modified on Apr 25, 2011
Health activists and non-government organisation working against tobacco abuse, Health Related Information Dissemination Among Youth (HRIDAY), have written to Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, urging her to support the timely implementation of strong and effective pictorial health warnings on tobacco product packages.

“The current pictorial health warnings in India are extremely mild and ineffective to communicate the hazardous health effects of tobacco use. Since the Department of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP) is now ready with a set of fresh pictorial health warnings, HRIDAY along with 32 other civil society organisations has urged Ms. Swaraj to mobilise Parliament to ensure that effective pictorial health warnings on tobacco products are implemented,'' said statement released by HRIDAY.

In their letter to Ms. Swaraj, civil society organisations committed to protect individuals and society at large from the devastating harms caused by tobacco use noted that tobacco use continues to be one of the biggest challenges for public health today.

“The magnitude of this burden is so annihilating that it kills nearly 5.4 million people globally and more than 0.9 million Indians each year. Findings from the recently released Global Adult Tobacco Survey Report (GATS) 2009-2010 reveal that there are more than 274.9 million tobacco users in India and this number is growing rapidly, especially among women and the youth. In this regard, we would like to bring to your notice the unprecedented delay in implementation of a strong and effective tobacco control measure in the country, i.e. depiction of pictorial health warnings on all tobacco products,'' noted the group.

Pictorial health warnings showing the hazardous effects of tobacco use have been instrumental in creating awareness about the long-term devastating health risks associated with tobacco use. Pictorial warnings help tobacco users visualise the nature of tobacco-related diseases and convey the health messages in an unambiguous manner. Such warnings are also more likely to reach the youth and those with little or no education, who are the most vulnerable sections of the society to initiate tobacco use.

“Prominent placement of these warnings on tobacco packages ensures that users are confronted with the warning every time they purchase a tobacco product package and each time they take it out for use. Also as per the regulations, the pictorial health warnings were to be rotated every 12 months. The current pictorial health warnings in India are extremely mild and ineffective to communicate the harms of tobacco use. This is evident from the fact that the “Cigarette Packaging Health Warnings: International Status Report prepared by the Canadian Cancer Society in collaboration with the Framework Convention Alliance ranks India 100th in a list of 175 countries surveyed on warning size and fulfilment of requirements for picture-based warnings,'' noted the letter.

The Hindu, 25 April, 2011, http://www.hindu.com/2011/04/25/stories/2011042564210600.htm


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