Lok Sabha Question No. 2094 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-23
Subject: Reduction in Tobacco Usage
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Shrikant Eknath Shinde, Unmesh Bhaiyyasaheb Patil, Sambhajirao Mane Dhairyasheel, Hemant Patil, Sujay Radhakrishna Vikhepatil

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2094 TO BE ANSWERED ON 23 RD SEPTEMBER, 2020

## REDUCTION IN TOBACCO USAGE

2094. DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE: SHRI UNMESH BHAIYYASAHEB PATIL: SHRI DHAIRYASHEEL SAMBHAJIRAO MANE: SHRI HEMANT SRIRAM PATIL: DR. SUJAY RADHAKRISHNA VIKHE PATIL:

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

- (a) the steps taken by the Government to ensure the accomplishmentof the set target of 15% reduction in the prevalence of current tobacco use by 2020;
- (b) whether any study has been commissioned by the Government to find out the reduction in theprevalence of current tobacco use;
- (c) if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) whether the Government analyzed the results of the last Global Adult Tobacco Survey of 2016 to assess the policy and implementation issues that need to be ad ressed to meet this target; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

- (a) to (e): Several steps have been taken by the Government to reduce the prevalence o tobacco use. Some of the major steps are as under;
- The  Ministry  of  Health  &  Family  Welfare  h as  enacted  a  comprehensive  legislation, namely  the  Cigarettes  and  Other  Tobacco  Products  (Prohibition  of  Advertisement  a Regulation  of  Trade  and  Commerce,  Production,  Supply  and  Distribution)  Act,  200 (COTPA 2003) to discourage the consumption of tobacc o products in order to protect the masses from the health hazards attributable to tobacco use. The provisions under COT 2003 and the Rules made thereunder mandates prohibition of smoking in public places; ban on sale of tobacco products to and by minors and within 100 yards of educational institutions;  prohibition  on  direct  and  indirect  advertising  of  tobacco  produc mandatory display of specified health warnings.
- The  National  Tobacco  Control  Programme (NTCP)  was  launched  by  this  Ministry  in 2007- 08  with  the  aim  to  (i)  create  awareness  about  the  harmful  effects  of  tob consumption,  (ii)  reduce  the  production  and  supply  of  tobacco  products,  (iii)

effective  implementation  of  the  provisions  unde r  COTPA,  2003  (iv)  help  people  quit tobacco use, and (v) facilitate implementation of strategies for prevention and co tobacco advocated by WHO Framework Convention of Tobacco Control.

- The stakeholders are being made aware on a regular basis about the adverse effects of tobacco usage on health through various anti - tobacco campaigns vide different mode of communication.
- The  Government  of  India  has  notified  rules  to  regulate  films  and  TV  programme depicting scenes of tobacco usage to spread awarene ss. Such films and TV programmes are  statutorily  required  to  run  anti - tobacco  health  spots,  disclaimers  and  static  health warnings.
- Specified health warnings on tobacco products is enhanced w.e.f. 1st April, 2016 to of the principal display area of to bacco product packs. Quitline number has been included in  new  specified  health  warnings  with  Quitline  number  which  came  into  effect  on st September, 2018.
- The Ministry has started National Tobacco Quitline to provide tobacco cessation ser to the co mmunity and has launched a pan -India  'mCessation'  initiative  to  reach  out  to tobacco users who are willing to quit tobacco use and to support them towards succe quitting through text - messaging via mobile phones. Tobacco cessation centers have also been set up in Dental Colleges/Institutions across the country.
- Revised  guidelines  for  Tobacco  Free  Educational  Institutions  (ToFEI)  to  impleme Section - 6 of COTPA, 2003 has been disseminated/implemented.
- The  Government  of  India  prohibited  electronic  cigar ettes  and  like  devices  vide  the Electronic Cigarettes (Production, Manufacture, Import, Export, Transport, Distribution, Storage and Advertisement) Act, 2019.

S

- The Food Safety and Standards Regulations (FSSA) issued in 2011 under the Food Safet & Standards Act, 2006 lay down that tobacco and nicotine cannot be used as ingredient Food Products.
- All tobacco products are covered under the highest slab i.e. 28% under Goods & Ser Tax with an additional compensation cess, excluding bidis.
- In orde r to encourage tobacco workers to shift to alternative vocations, the Minis Labour & Employment, Government of India in collaboration with the Ministry of Ski Development & Entrepreneurship, Government of India, has initiated 'Skill Development' pr ogramme for bidi rollers, to facilitate them to shift to alternative vocations.
- Department of Agriculture and Cooperation & Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Agricultur and Farmers Welfare, has extended Crop Diversification Programme (CDP), an on - going sub-scheme of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna (RKVY) to 10 tobacco growing States w.e.f 2015- 16  to  encourage  tobacco  growing  farmers  to  shift  to  alternate  crops/cropp systems.

As part of the Global Tobacco Surveillance System (GTSS), three rounds of Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) among 13 - 15 year - old school going children in 2003, 2006 and  2009  and two  rounds  of  Global  Adult  Tobacco  Survey  (GATS)  among  15  years  and above in 2009 - 10 and 201 6- 17 have been undertaken.  These surveys are global standards for systematically monitoring adult and youth tobacco use (smoking and smokeless) and tr the key tobacco control indictors.

The National Monitoring framework for Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable  Diseases  (NCD),  stipulates  relative  reduction  in  prevalence  of  curr tobacco use by 15% and 30% by 2020 and 2025 respectively, to the baseline levels of 2 The  National  Health  Policy  (NHP),  2017  also  reiterates  the  relative  reduction  o f  15%  in tobacco use by 2020 and of 30 percent by 2025, which is in line with the above Target Indicators under the NCD Frame Work.

As per the Report of the second round of the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS -2),  there has  been  17.3%  relative  reduc tion  in  prevalence  of  tobacco  use  from  34.6%  to 28.6% from 2009 - 10 to 2016 - 17. As such, the target set for 2020 has been achieved.