BMJ 2015;350:h360 doi: 10.1136/bmj.h360 (Published 21 January 2015)
Page 1 of 1
News
NEWS Indian government outlines plans to tighten tobacco control laws Cheryl Travasso Mumbai
India has published details of how it plans to strengthen existing tobacco control laws by extending the smoking ban into areas where tobacco use is currently permitted, increasing fines for ignoring the ban, raising the age at which tobacco products can be purchased, and banning spitting of tobacco products. The bill amendment will extend India’s ban on smoking in public places to include restaurants and hotels, which will no longer be permitted to have designated smoking sections.1 International airports will be allowed to keep smoking areas, but they must be used only for smoking tobacco products and will be designed in a manner that ensures non-smokers are not exposed to secondhand smoke. Fines for using tobacco in prohibited areas will rise from Rs200 (£2.10; €2.80; $3.30) to Rs1000.
The draft bill recognised that tobacco spitting was implicated in the spread of several diseases and outlined plans to ban this practice in areas where smoking tobacco is banned. This measure reflects the government’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Mission) launched last year to promote better sanitation and hygiene nationwide.
Tobacco products will no longer be allowed to be sold loose or singly because this makes the products more affordable, and the purchaser is not exposed to the warning on the packaging.
Additionally, those under 18 years of age will not be allowed to cultivate, process, or sell tobacco products, and the age at which tobacco products can be purchased will initially rise from 18 to 21 years, and then may be raised further to 23 or 25 years depending on how the first rise is received. The ban on tobacco advertising will be extended to include advertising at the point of sale, which is currently allowed, and new media, including the internet, films, and mobile phones.
Monika Arora, director of the health promotion and tobacco control division at the Public Health Foundation of India, told The BMJ that the original bill had gaps that could be circumvented. She added, however, that behaviour changes were needed, which will require a well implemented tobacco control policy and a comprehensive national programme, with an emphasis on mass media, school interventions, and cessation interventions. Stakeholders have until mid February to comment on the draft bill. 1
Government of India. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Cigarettes and other tobacco products (prohibition of advertisement and regulation of trade and commerce, production, supply and distribution) (amendment) bill 2015. www.mohfw.nic.in/showfile.php?lid=3032.
Cite this as: BMJ 2015;350:h360 © BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 2015
For personal use only: See rights and reprints http://www.bmj.com/permissions
Subscribe: http://www.bmj.com/subscribe
Page 1 of 1
News
NEWS Indian government outlines plans to tighten tobacco control laws Cheryl Travasso Mumbai
India has published details of how it plans to strengthen existing tobacco control laws by extending the smoking ban into areas where tobacco use is currently permitted, increasing fines for ignoring the ban, raising the age at which tobacco products can be purchased, and banning spitting of tobacco products. The bill amendment will extend India’s ban on smoking in public places to include restaurants and hotels, which will no longer be permitted to have designated smoking sections.1 International airports will be allowed to keep smoking areas, but they must be used only for smoking tobacco products and will be designed in a manner that ensures non-smokers are not exposed to secondhand smoke. Fines for using tobacco in prohibited areas will rise from Rs200 (£2.10; €2.80; $3.30) to Rs1000.
The draft bill recognised that tobacco spitting was implicated in the spread of several diseases and outlined plans to ban this practice in areas where smoking tobacco is banned. This measure reflects the government’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Mission) launched last year to promote better sanitation and hygiene nationwide.
Tobacco products will no longer be allowed to be sold loose or singly because this makes the products more affordable, and the purchaser is not exposed to the warning on the packaging.
Additionally, those under 18 years of age will not be allowed to cultivate, process, or sell tobacco products, and the age at which tobacco products can be purchased will initially rise from 18 to 21 years, and then may be raised further to 23 or 25 years depending on how the first rise is received. The ban on tobacco advertising will be extended to include advertising at the point of sale, which is currently allowed, and new media, including the internet, films, and mobile phones.
Monika Arora, director of the health promotion and tobacco control division at the Public Health Foundation of India, told The BMJ that the original bill had gaps that could be circumvented. She added, however, that behaviour changes were needed, which will require a well implemented tobacco control policy and a comprehensive national programme, with an emphasis on mass media, school interventions, and cessation interventions. Stakeholders have until mid February to comment on the draft bill. 1
Government of India. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Cigarettes and other tobacco products (prohibition of advertisement and regulation of trade and commerce, production, supply and distribution) (amendment) bill 2015. www.mohfw.nic.in/showfile.php?lid=3032.
Cite this as: BMJ 2015;350:h360 © BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 2015
For personal use only: See rights and reprints http://www.bmj.com/permissions
Subscribe: http://www.bmj.com/subscribe
