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
Gutka
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
Sounding the smoke alarm on sale of tobacco to minors
Thanks to the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, tobacco companies in India may find it hard to lure children below the age of 18 into the tobacco habit. According to the Act, anyone who sells these products to underage children will face rigorous imprisonment up to seven years and a fine … Continue reading Sounding the smoke alarm on sale of tobacco to minors
A pictorial warning must shock
What is the connection between a scorpion, tobacco and cancer? Well, absolutely nothing. If any, it is the crab that is an international symbol of cancer. Yet, the previous government chose the scorpion as one of the pictorial warnings on tobacco products! Though the current controversy on pictorial warnings has finally boiled down to the … Continue reading A pictorial warning must shock
Editorial: Loosening tobacco’s deadly grip
A few months after steeply increasing taxes on tobacco products, the government has come up with another much-needed measure to contain tobacco consumption. Thanks to a recent amendment to the Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Rules of 2008, pictorial warnings are all set to achieve the desired results. Beginning April 1, 2015, … Continue reading Editorial: Loosening tobacco’s deadly grip
Editorial: Sin tax and tobacco use
It is indeed noteworthy that Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has increased the specific excise duty on cigarettes in the range of 11 to 72 per cent and by 10 per cent on chewing tobacco. While the revenue generated from tobacco sale will increase substantially, the primary objective of reducing tobacco consumption may not be … Continue reading Editorial: Sin tax and tobacco use
Excise hike on gutka may apply only to Meghalaya, Lakshadweep
The government’s decision to hike specific excise duty on gutka and pan masala can apply only to one State (Meghalaya) and one Union Territory (Lakshadweep). Currently, all other States and Union Territories have banned the sale of gutka and pan masala (containing tobacco or nicotine). While presenting the budget on July 10, Union Finance Minister … Continue reading Excise hike on gutka may apply only to Meghalaya, Lakshadweep
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