Question : Ban on Sale of Tobacco Products

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 Government proposes to ban on sale of tobacco products in view of increasing number of cancer patients due to their consumption as per the study conducted 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?

THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
(SHRI JAGAT PRAKASH NADDA)
(a): No comparative data is available on the consumption of cigarettes and other tobacco 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 estimated number of tobacco users in India is 27.5 crore, with 16.37 crore users of only smokeless tobacco, 6.9 crore only smokers and 4.23 crore users of both smoking and smokeless tobacco. The prevalence of overall tobacco use among males is 48 percent and that among females is 20 percent. Among both males and females, the prevalence of tobacco use is higher in rural than urban areas. More than half of rural males (52 percent) and 24 percent of rural females use 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 and young adults in the country. Research corroborates that exposure to tobacco advertisements and receptivity to tobacco marketing are significantly related to increased tobacco use among students. Further, there is evidence to suggest independent association between tobacco use in Indian movies and ever tobacco use among adolescents in India.

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