Tobacco surcharge to be utilised for anti-tobacco campaign

Hardly two weeks ahead of blanket ban on smoking in government or private offices, public places from October 2 this year, the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss after inaugurating the regional workshop on “Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products” here on Tuesday said enough resources would be provided to control tobacco.

“Money collected through surcharge on tobacco products is proposed to be used for tobacco control activities such as awareness campaigns, alternate cropping, establishment of labs, alternative employment for tobacco growers etc.,” said Ramadoss.

Illicit trade in tobacco products not only undermines the government's effort to raise taxes and investing the same in relevant social programmes but also hampers the control of tobacco supply chain by making available cheaper tobacco products.

The two-day regional workshop is being organised jointly by the World Health Organisation-Framework Convention Alliance (FCA) and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

India is one among the foremost countries to sign and ratify the WHO-Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which enlists key strategies for reduction in demand and supply of tobacco products.

India ratified the FCTC on February 5, 2004 even before the World Health Assembly adopted the WHO-FCTC.

Anti Tobacco Act, formally known as The Cigarette and other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production Supply and Distribution) Act, which the government enacted in 2003, is one of the most comprehensive Tobacco Control Act in the world.

Death caused by the tobacco around the world has touched 5.4 million each year, and is projected to rise to eight million by 2030. If the current trends are not checked, tobacco will claim around one billion lives this century.

Keeping these facts and figures on the card, Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss has announced to enforce ban on smoking in public places from October 2and mandatory pictorial warnings on tobacco products from November 30.