THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI GHULAM NABI AZAD)
(a)to(e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.266 FOR 15TH MARCH, 2013
(a) In order to deter people from using tobacco, National Tobacco Control Programme
(NTCP) was launched in the year 2007-08, with the objectives to
(i) create awareness
about the harmful effects of tobacco consumption,
(ii) reduce the production and supply
of tobacco products,
(iii) ensure effective implementation of the provisions made under
“The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation
of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003†(COTPA) and
(iv)
help the people quit tobacco use through Tobacco Cessation Centres. The programme is
presently under implementation in 21 states covering 42 districts.
Further, the Food Safety and Standards Act ( 2006) and the Food Safety and Standards
(Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011 dated 1st August 2011, issued
thereunder lays down that tobacco and nicotine shall not be used as ingredients in any
food products.
So far, due to consistent follow up by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, 28 States/
UT’s have issued orders for implementation of the Food Safety Regulations banning
manufacture, sale and storage of Gutka and Pan Masala containing tobacco or nicotine.
(Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Mizoram,
Chandigarh, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh,
Nagaland, Andaman & Nicobar, Daman & Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Uttarakhand, Odisha,
Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Sikkim, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Assam).
(b)&(c): The Government has not conducted any survey to ascertain the impact of the
aforesaid programme on smoking and consumption of smokeless tobacco products. However,
Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) India-2010 was conducted by Ministry of Health &
Family Welfare in the age group of 15 years and above to monitor prevalence of tobacco
use and track key tobacco control indicators. It has provided base line estimates/data on
key tobacco control indicators. Major findings of the GATS India 2010 are as follows:
# Current tobacco use in any form: 34.6% of adults; 47.9% of males and 20.3% of females
# Current tobacco smokers: 14.0% of adults; 24.3% of males and 2.9% of females
# Current users of smokeless tobacco: 25.9% of adults; 32.9% of males and 18.4 % of females
# Average age at initiation of tobacco use was 17.8 with 25.8% of females starting tobacco
use before the age of 15
# Among minors (age 15-17), 9.6% consumed tobacco in some form and most of them were able
to purchase tobacco products
(d) We do not have the data on annual expenditure incurred on tobacco related diseases.
However, as per the Health Cost study conducted by Indian Council of Medical Research
(ICMR) in 1998-99 (extrapolated to 2002-03 rates), the total direct and indirect cost due
to three major tobacco related diseases in India (cardiovascular diseases, cancer,
chronic lung diseases) was Rs. 30,833 crore which amounted to 25% of all public
spending during that period on Health. The data was collected on treatment expenditures -
both medical and non-medical, institutional expenditures and loss of wages during
treatment for the year 1990–1992, or until death or recovery.
The total revenue realized from central excise duty on tobacco and tobacco products for
the year 1998-99 was Rs.5,768 crores. This figure for the year 2011-12 is Rs17,414
crores.
(e) In order to enforce the provisions of “The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products
(Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply
and Distribution) Act, 2003†(COTPA), the following important rules have been notified
under the Act:
# The revised Rules related to prohibition of smoking in Public Places notified vide
G.S.R 417(E) dated 30th May, 2008 and enforced from 2nd October, 2008.
# The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labeling) amendment Rules
notified vide G.S.R 182(E) dated 15th March 2008 and enforced from 31st May, 2009.
These rules mandated the depiction of the pictorial health warnings on all tobacco
products.
# The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Display of board by educational
Institutions) notified vide G.S.R 40(E) dated 19th January, 2010 and enforced from the
same date. It prohibits the sale of tobacco products within 100 yards of educational
Institutions.
# The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation
of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Amendment Rules, 2011
notified vide G.S.R 619(E) dated 11th August, 2011 and enforced from the same date.
These Rules mandate prohibition of sale of tobacco products to and by persons below
the age of eighteen years and recovery of fine thereon by the authorized officers.
# The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labeling) amendment Rules
2012 vide notification G.S.R. 724(E) dated 27th September, 2012. Three sets of warnings
each have been notified for smoking as well as smokeless forms of tobacco. The new
warnings shall come into effect from 1st April, 2013.
# The Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation
of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) (Second Amendment) Rules,
2011 vide GSR no. 786(E) dated 27-10-11 came into effect from 14th November, 2011 and
has provisions to regulate the scenes depicting use of Cigarettes and other tobacco
products in films and TV programmes. In order to remove certain practical difficulties
in its implementation, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has further amended Rules
7 and 8 of the above rules. The revised rules have been notified vide G.S.R. 708(E)
dated 21st September, 2012 and have come into force from 2nd October, 2012.
Some of the other important activities undertaken by the Ministry in this regard are as
follows:
# Global Adult Tobacco Survey–India (2010), a nationally representative household
survey, was conducted to systematically monitor adult tobacco use and track key tobacco
control indicators. The findings have been disseminated through National and regional
level seminars.
# National guidelines on tobacco dependence treatment have been developed and
disseminated.
# Training modules were developed for doctors, teachers and health workers/ ASHA on
tobacco control.
# Guidelines for Tobacco Free Educational Institutions developed and adopted by the
Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). The CBSE has circulated these guidelines
to all CBSE affiliated schools to implement the same.
# Toll free helpline has been established to report specific violations of the provisions
under the anti-tobacco law.
# Guidelines for implementation of various sections of the COTP Act (Anti-Tobacco Law)
were developed and disseminated to all states and other enforcement agencies.
# National and Regional level advocacy workshops were organized at Delhi and various
other centres to sensitize law enforcers / stakeholders from different departments
(Agriculture, Customs & Excise, Labour, Education, Forest, Tribal, Health, Tourism,
Transport, Railways, Police, Judiciary, Information and Broadcasting etc.) on their role
in implementation of tobacco control laws and other measures for tobacco control.
# Manpower resources are provided to assist focal points at national level (National
Tobacco Control Cell) and at state level through the state level consultants at 15 State
Tobacco Control Cells: (Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Bihar,
Maharashtra, Tripura, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand
and Karnataka).
# National Level Mass Media Campaigns: Various anti-tobacco materials for IEC
(Information, Education & Communication) activities have been developed and
disseminated widely through radio, TV and outdoor publicity campaigns for increasing
public awareness on the smoke-free rules as well as on risks of tobacco use, second
hand smoke, harmful effects on babies and expectant mothers.
# The new rules on regulation of scenes relating to depiction of tobacco use in movies
and TV programmes have mandated display of health spots and disclaimers in the beginning
and middle of such movies and TV programmes displaying scenes of tobacco usage.
# National Consultation on smokeless tobacco was organized in April, 2011 to discuss
prevention strategies and to build coalition to combat the usage of chewing tobacco and
its impact on health.
# A workshop was organized on 28.9.2011 in collaboration with WHO to sensitise the
members of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and its Regional Centres on
the need to restrict the use of tobacco products both smoking and smokeless in the films
as well as TV programmes.
# Review cum workshop was organized with the State and District Nodal officers of NTCP
in January, 2012.
# National Consultation on Economics of Tobacco was organized in December, 2012, at New
Delhi.
# A special campaign for tobacco free North East was launched on 1st March, 2013, at
Assam.
# The Ministry has written to all the states to mainstream enforcement of the provisions
of the anti-tobacco law through monthly crime review meetings at the district level.
The Ministry is also trying to get the anti-tobacco law included in the ‘Social Policing’
agenda.
