Lok Sabha Question No. 1111 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-04-29
Subject: Ban on Sale of Tobacco Products
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: RAJESH VERMA, ANTO  ANTONY, J. JAYASINGH THIYAGARAJ NATTERJEE

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION NO. 1111 TO BE ANSWERED ON 29 TH APRIL, 2016

## BAN ON SALE OF TOBAC CO PRODUCTS

## 1111. SHRI RAJESH VERMA:

SHRI ANTO ANTONY:

SHRI J.J.T. NATTERJEE:

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

- (a) whether consumption of cigarette and other tobacco products have increased in the country, especially among women, if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
- (b) whether the Government has taken note that youths in the country are attracted by tobacco products through advertisements;
- (c) if so, the details thereof indicating the findings of study conducted, if any, in this regard;
- (d) whether the G overnment proposes to ban on sale of tobacco products in view of increasing number of cancer patients due to their consumption as per the study cond cted by Indian Council of Medical Research and All India Institute of Medical Sciences in this regard; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI JAGAT PRAKASH NADDA)

- (a): No  comparative  data  is  available  on  the  consumption  of  cigarettes  and  other  tob products  in  the  country. However,  as  per  Global  Adult  Tobacco  Survey  (GATS -India  2010), about 35% of the adults in India consume tobacco in some form or the other. The estim number of tobacco users in India is 27.5 crore, with 16.37 crore users of only smokeless 6.9 crore  only  smokers  and  4.23  crore  users  of  both  smoking  and  smokeless  tobacco.  T prevalence  of  overall  tobacco  use  among  males  is  48  percent  and  that  among  females  i percent. Among both males and females, the prevalence of tobacco use is higher in ru ral than urban  areas.  More  than  half  of  rural  males  (52  percent)  and  24  percent  of  rural  fema tobacco compared with 38 percent of urban males and 12 percent of urban females.
- (b )& ( c) : Yes;  published  scientific  literature  suggests  that  exposure  to promotional activities for tobacco leads to initiation and progression of tobacco use among youth an adults  in  the  country.  Research  corroborates  that  exposure  to  tobacco  advertisement

receptivity  to  tobacco  marketing  are  significantly  related o  increased  tobacco  use  among students. Further, there is evidence to suggest independent association between tobacco Indian movies and ever tobacco use among adolescents in India.

(d )& ( e) : Government of India has banned certain kinds of smokel ess tobacco products like gutkha and chewing tobacco through notification issued under the Food Safety and Stand Act, 2006. Other tobacco products are regulated by the Cigarettes and other Tobacco Pro (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation o f Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 (COTPA 2003), which contain provisions, inter alia, relating to sale  of  tobacco  products  by/to  minors,  ban  on  sale  of  tobacco  products  within  100  ya educational institutions, ban on promotions/advertisements of tobacco products, etc.