Lok Sabha Question No. 2630 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-17
Subject: Banning of Tobacco Products
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: RAM PRASAD SARMAH, PINAKI MISRA, KAPIL MORESHWAR PATIL, NATUBHAI GOMANBHAI PATEL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2630 TO BE ANSWERED ON 1 7 th MARCH, 2017

## BANNING OF TOBACCO P RODUCTS

## 2630. SHRI RAM PRASAD SARMAH:

SHRI PINAKI MISRA:

SHRI KAPIL MORESHWAR PATIL:

SHRI NATUBHAI GOMANBHAI PATEL:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  details  of  deaths  registered  in the  country  due  to  smoking  and  use  of  other tobacco products during each of the last three years, State/UT - wise;
- (b) whether sale of tobacco products has been affected due to bigger pictorial health warning and its stakeholders have requested to limit such warning to 50 percent and if so the details ther
- (c) whether the Government pr oposesto impose complete ban on production and marketing of tobacco products in the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the outcome of such initiatives would affect the livelihood of tobacco farmers and if so, the measures taken by the Go vernment to safeguard their interests: and
- (e) the details of measures and campaigns initiated by the Government to spread awareness about the ill - effects of tobacco consumption?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL )

- (a): As  per  the  'Report  on  Tobacco  Control  in  India'  published  in  2004,  about  8 - 9  lakhs deaths per year are attributable to tobacco related diseases.
- (b): No such survey has been conducted. The Committee on Subordinate Legislation ( COSL) 16 th Lok Sabha made a recommendation to limit the size of health warning up to 50 percent one side of the beedi pack, chewing tobacco and other tobacco products. The recommendat has not been accepted. The introduction of large health warnings h as been implemented with a view to informing the consumers in a better way about the harmful impact of tobacco us health.

(c) : At present, there is no such proposal with this Ministry. However, under Cigarette Other  Tobacco  Products (Prohibition  of  Advertisement,  Regulation  of  Trade  and  Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003, there is ban on sale of cigarettes or a tobacco  products  to  and  by  persons  below  the  age  of  eighteen  years,  within  100  yard educati onal institutions and ban on promotion/advertisement of cigarettes or any other to products.  Further,  under  the  Act,  there  is  prohibition  of  production,  supply  or  distri cigarettes or any other tobacco products unless every package of cigaret tes or any other tobacco products  produced,  supplied  or  distributed  bears  thereon,  or  on  its  label,  the  specifi warning including a pictorial warning.

The  Food  Safety  and  Standards  Regulations  issued  in  2011  under  the  Food  Safety Standards Act, 2006 lay down that tobacco and nicotine cannot be used as ingredients in Fo Products.

(d): The  initiatives  taken  by  the  Government  are  aimed  at  the  promotion  of  public  he through spreading awareness about the harms and adverse health consequences o f tobacco use and certain restrictions on sale, promotion/advertisement, production, supply or distri tobacco products.

However,  the  Crop  Diversification  Programme,  an  ongoing  sub  scheme  of  Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) run by Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, has been extended to 10 tobacco growing states w.e.f. 2015 - 16 to encourage tobacco growing farmers to shift to alternate crops/cropping systems.

(e): Government of India has notified rules to regulate films and TV programm es depicting scenes of tobacco usage to spread awareness. Such films and TV programmes are statuto required to run anti - tobacco health spots, disclaimers and static health warnings.

Further, to spread awareness on adverse impact of consumption of toba cco products, the size  of  specified  health  warnings  on  packages  of  tobacco  and  tobacco  products  has increased to 85% w.e.f. 1 st April, 2016.

The stakeholders are being made aware on a regular basis about the adverse effec tobacco  usage  on  health through  various  anti -tobacco  campaigns  vide  different  mode  of communication including TV, Radio, Print media, social media, films etc.

The Ministry has started National Toll - free Helpline in 2008 to provide information on harmful  effects  of  consumption  o f  tobacco,  and  on  how  to  quit  tobacco  use,  including  after -effects of quitting tobacco.