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Vote For Health Campaign andUP State Tobacco Control CellReport Card on Implementation of Tobacco Control Laws and
other health and development policies in Lucknow
May 2013
Jointly organized by: Vote for Health campaign, Asha Parivar, CNS and UP governmentsState Tobacco Control Cell (STCC)
Youth participants (15) of Rights and Responsibilities Summer Training Camp:
Youth participants of Rights and Responsibilities Training Camp: Avnish Shukla, Udita
Chandra, Anjali Verma, Rohit Kumar Kashyap, Gurudeep, Samarth Dwivedi, Nitish Tiwari,
Ateendra Gupta, Mohd Haroon, Kapil Muni, Rahul Kumar, Surya Prakash Pathak, Ravi Singh,
Subham Dwivedi and Mukta Srivastava
Faculty for Rights and Responsibilities Summer Training Camp 2013:
Professor (Dr) Rama Kant, Dr Sandeep Pandey, Shobha Shukla, Dr Madhu Pathak, Dr Shivani
Sharma, Mr Manushresth Mishra, Mr Jaideep Dhondiyal and Ms Reshma from HOPE Initiative,
Mr Sailendra Singh UP Bureau chief Delhi Press Prakashan, Bobby Ramakant and Rahul Dwivedi
Thi s report card is produced by some youth parti cipants and faculty members of this training.
What we monitored in Lucknow? And Why?
1- Tobacco control laws:
The Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003, is one of the most comprehensive
tobacco control laws in the world but its implementation is weak and appalling. The youth
participants after the session on tobacco control laws in India, selected few salient features
of The Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003, to conduct a reality check at some
locations in Lucknow on their level of implementation:
The salient features of The Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003, that were
monitored and evaluated by the team included:
1) Sale of tobacco within 100 yards of any educational institutions is prohibited2) Pictorial health warnings on all tobacco products3) Advertising of tobacco products4) Point of sale advertising of tobacco products5) Sale of foreign cigarettes that are not complying with domestic pictorial warning law
6) Bansmoking in public places
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2- Sanitation and hygiene:
We believe that poor waste management in our city is a breeding ground for diseases. We
monitored and documented waste lying recklessly over days in densely populated residential
locations in our neighbourhood. Similarly plastic wastes are also disposed of carelessly.
3- Alcohol advertising
Despite ban on alcohol advertising, we saw many billboards in Lucknow where major alcohol
brands were displayed in the garb of musical nights, cassettes, fashion tour and CDs etc.
Sale of tobacco within 100 yards of any educational institutions is prohibited
Law: Sale of tobacco is not permitted within 100 yards of any educational institution
according to the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003. There were several
educational institutions (schools, colleges, tuition centres, coaching centres etc) where
tobacco was being sold within 100 yards distance either through gumti shops or mobile
thelas. Sale of tobacco to or by minors is also not permitted by law. These laws that will
protect children and youth from having easy access to tobacco are important to enforce
strictly.
Violations are documented as photographs:
Ban on smoking in public places
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Tobacco advertising
Since the ban of Gutka product came in effect in the state, gutka companies has adopted new
ways of promoting raw tobacco packets along with paan masala by putting holding of pan
masala product where as they have mentioned that Chhotu is available. When pan masala
product name is clearly mentioned in the holdings then, What is Chhotu? Is this not a way ofsurrogate advertisement and clear violation of Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act,
2003?
Pictorial health warnings on all tobacco products are mandatory by law
We appraise the government ministry of health and family welfares initiative of rotating
existing pictorial warnings with newer and effective pictorial warnings on tobacco products
from 1 April 2013. Whereas in our interrogation we found few foreign brand cigarettes which
have not complied with domestic pictorial warnings. According to the Cigarettes and Other
Tobacco Products Act, 2003, all tobacco products being imported in India from other
countries should comply with domestic pictorial warning before beings marketed. This means,
it is a clear violation of COTPA 2003.
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Point of sale advertising of tobacco products
Point of sale means tobacco retail outlets/ shops/ gumtis or anywhere tobacco is being
sold from. According to the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003, point-of-sale
advertisement boards are permitted but shall not exceed 60 cm x 45 cm. Each of these boards
should contain the specified health warning occupying the top edge of the board measuring 20cm x 15 cm and the display boards shall only list the type of tobacco product (beedi,
cigarette etc) at the point of sale, without any mention of the brand name or other
promotional message or picture.
Sanitation and hygiene
Poor or no waste management increases risk of infectious diseases alarmingly. Piles of
garbage in residential colonies in our neighbourhood of Lucknow, needs urgent attention and
action from relevant authorities. Plastic waste was also lying recklessly.
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Alcohol advertising
When we see an alcohol brand-name on a billboard, which consumer product we relate it to?
Alcohol product or a music night, soda water, fashion tour CD music or any other
alcohol product? Decide for yourself!
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Recommendations
Since in most cases tobacco addiction begins before the age of 18 years, it isimperative to strictly enforce the ban on sale of tobacco to or by minors so that
children and youth cannot have access to tobacco. Enforcing the existing law will have
very positive public health outcomes as tobacco is the common risk factor for majornon-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart diseases, stroke, cancer, diabetes,
respiratory illnesses among others. The children and youth that are sadly selling
tobacco should be in schools in this age of Right To Education (RTE) Act. Very few
tobacco shops display the signage that sale of tobacco to minors is banned.
The ban on sale of tobacco within 100 yards of any educational institution should bestrictly enforced this will limit access to tobacco for minors and delay (or reduce the
chances of) the onset of tobacco addiction.
The sale of International brands of cigarettes in Lucknow such as Gudang Garam fromIndonesia, Marlboro and other brands raises a serious question if they are legally
imported in India then they must abide by Indian tobacco control laws (such as print
pictorial warnings in Indian languages as per Indian law) and if they are not legally
imported then not only India is losing on health of its citizens but also on revenues. Is
this tobacco smuggling? It is the responsibility of the authorities to find this out and
take legal action as early as possible in interest of public health. We appeal to the
government authorities to seize such tobacco and take appropriate action against
those responsible.
We need to ensure that all advertisement of non-tobacco product containing paanmasala should not promote any indirect message to promoting tobacco products. As
banner of paan masala stating Chhotuis available should be removed and stringent
action must be taken against the violators.
We need stronger laws to ensure that non-alcohol products with same brand name asthat of alcohol products should not be allowed to advertise. We need laws to stop
alcohol advertisements under the guise of any other non-alcohol product such as soda
water, music nights, etc; which have same brand names as that of alcohol products.
When a person sees a brand, which product she or he associates it with, is very
important.
Waste management in Lucknow should be done with very scientific and evidence basedmethods so as not to pose any immediate, short term or long term adverse impact to
our environment or public health. Government ends up paying much more money in
managing diseases borne out of poor sanitation and hygiene than the resources
required for proper waste management.
For further information, contact: Dr Sandeep Pandey, Shobha Shukla, Rahul Dwivedi,
Bobby Ramakant C-2211, C-block crossing, Indira Nagar, Lucknow-226016. India Phone:
+91-9839073355 Email: [email protected]