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May 2, 2000
BUDGET 2000 |
Check tobacco companies' brazen adverts, urges anti-smoking body
Even though tobacco advertisements have been banned in developed countries like the United Kingdom and the United States, India is still to enforce a code for regulating tobacco use and its advertisments in the country. India's Ministry of Health had sought Cabinet approval for finalising a draft bill on a national law on tobacco use.
The health ministry in the draft bill had suggested declaring the sale of tobacco to those under the age of 18 as ''illegal'' and that compulsory statutory warning be written on packets. It had also suggested a ban on smoking in public places besides banning sale of cigarette and other tobacco products within 100 metres of educational institutions and hospitals.
The association alleged that the government had been deliberately delaying the ban on advertise- ments on tobacco. It said tobacco companies were not adhering to the self regulatory advertising code formulated by the Advertising Standards Council of India. Referring to the code on advertising formulated by the Tobacco Institute of India, the council said the rules of procedure were yet to be finalised by the TII. The tobacco lobbies and corporates had shown reluctance in following the ASCI code. Demanding implementation of the advertisement codes fixed by the ASCI, it said the council had forbidden the use of movie stars and other celebrities as they tend to have an impact on the minds of the young generation.
The council said tobacco companies should desist from advertising at playgrounds and sportspersons should not wear clothes bearing the logo of cigarette brands and tobacco companies. He said the tobacco companies, by associating smoking with youth, sports and beauty, were trying to create a an image that smoking is a pleasurable, healthy and sophisticated activity. It requesting the government to make rotating warnings mandatory on tobacco product packages as adopted by Sweden, Canada, Finland, Ireland, the UK and the USA. The messages in the rotating system could be used at any one moment appearing at random on all packages. Sweden and Norway were using 16 such messages on the packages of tobacco products. These were being replaced with a new set of messages for their long time impact on consumers, it added. It suggested that illustrations be added to the warnings as practised by Norway. The warnings should be printed on over one-third portion of the packets of tobacco products. In the absence of any legislation, the tobacco companies would never agree to print the suggestions, warnings and their illustrations, the council said in a statement. The messages on the packages should also mention specific diseases caused by consumption of tobacco and their magnitude of risk. The messages must be written in a language which is easily understood by everybody, it said. UNI ALSO SEE
Former health minister lambastes move to allow FDI in tobacco industry Goa body hails Kerala's anti-smoke move, to launch national drive Tobacco industry body decries ban on cigarettes Indian ad industry may review thrust on cricketers Desi dream run or drubbing Down Under, advertisers swear by cricket 'Marketers like what consumers like. And consumers like cricket'
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The council said cricket, tennis and other sports were
glorifying smoking as matches were being organised under different
brand names despite extensive anti-tobacco campaigns all over the
world.