The final price of cigarettes increases by only 0.18%. In the case of bidi and smokeless tobacco, the final price hike is 8.8% (about Rs. 1.30 per pack of 25 sticks) and 6%, respectively. With the introduction of the goods and services tax (GST) in 2017, all tobacco products — cigarettes, bidis and smokeless — … Continue reading ‘Tobacco products become affordable after GST’
Smokeless tobacco
Biomarkers found for lymph node metastasis in oral cancer
Researchers at the National Institute of Biomedical Genomics, Kalyani, and ACTREC, Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai have identified five biomarkers for lymph node metastasis in oral cancer. Two of the biomarkers are heritable DNA changes while three are somatic DNA alterations. Patients can be spared of lymph node dissection in the absence of the biomarkers. By looking … Continue reading Biomarkers found for lymph node metastasis in oral cancer
India should soon introduce plain packaging
Besides Australia, France, UK. Norway, Ireland, New Zealand and Hungary have introduced plain packaging of tobacco products. Plain packaging was will be introduced in Uruguay and Slovenia in 2019 and 2020 respectively, and is under process or being considered in 14 more countries. With the WTO clearing the last hurdle by favouring plain packaging, India should … Continue reading India should soon introduce plain packaging
India to use scarier yet banal pictorial warnings on tobacco products
Starting September 2018, all tobacco products will have scarier pictorial warnings and new grimmer written messages. And for the first time, toll-free telephone numbers will be displayed on packets to help people who want to quit. The graphic warnings will have less effects as they will highlight the same theme of oral cancer. Contrary to … Continue reading India to use scarier yet banal pictorial warnings on tobacco products
Yogi Adityanath takes pledge to control tobacco menace in Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has committed himself to controlling tobacco consumption in the State by signing a strongly-worded pledge. Uttar Pradesh accounts for one-fourth of the 10,00,000 new cancer cases seen every year in India, and nearly half of all cancers in the State are caused by tobacco. On February 5, a day … Continue reading Yogi Adityanath takes pledge to control tobacco menace in Uttar Pradesh
Sale of tobacco products in India only through licensed shops
Selling tobacco products through licensed shops will prevent mushrooming of outlets selling tobacco products and shrewd marketing of tobacco products to kids. In a body blow to tobacco companies, the Health Ministry is tightening the screws on marketing tobacco products to children. As part of the regulation of sale, the Ministry has asked all the … Continue reading Sale of tobacco products in India only through licensed shops
Loosening the vice-like grip of chewing tobacco
In a much-needed measure to keep the consumption of chewing tobacco under check, the Delhi government has extended by a year the ban on the sale, purchase and storage of all forms of chewable tobacco — scented, flavoured and mixed — sold in forms such as gutka, pan masala, khaini and zarda. The extension of … Continue reading Loosening the vice-like grip of chewing tobacco
Let larger pictorial warnings stay
Nearly one million tobacco-related deaths take place in India every year, and in 2011, the total health expenditure burden from all diseases due to tobacco use amounted to more than Rs.1,00,000 crore, which is 12 per cent more than the combined State and Central government expenditure on health in 2011-12. The revenue earned through tobacco … Continue reading Let larger pictorial warnings stay
Parliamentary committee recommends smaller pictorial warnings
Health Ministry's plan to introduce pictorial warnings covering 85 per cent of the display area on the front and back sides of tobacco products from April 1, 2016 has hit a major roadblock. - Photo: R. Prasad Two weeks before pictorial warnings covering 85 per cent of the principal display area of the front and … Continue reading Parliamentary committee recommends smaller pictorial warnings
Tobacco excise duty increase lowest in the last five years
The continuation of differential taxes based on filter or non-filter and four different tiers based on cigarette lengths defeats the very purpose of increased tobacco taxation The Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the excise duties on various tobacco products other than beedi were being increased by 10-15 per cent. This according to him was “to … Continue reading Tobacco excise duty increase lowest in the last five years
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