Stringent legislation for tobacco control will make India healthier

With nearly 5,500 youngsters lured into the addiction of a lifetime every day, the Indian youth are facing a new challenge now. There are commercial interests which are looking at the youth as replacement smokers for the next several decades. They are being targeted as the tobacco businesses understand that the younger generation can be driven to addiction easily, thereby leading to fuller coffers. Developed countries are shunning tobacco use because of stricter policies and increased awareness about its ill impacts on health. So, tobacco companies are now targeting developing countries like India that have huge young population for increasing their revenues.

But as a society, we Indians must take responsibility of our next generation. It’s a matter of great satisfaction that not only there is visible political will but also public support to tackle this challenge.

Two nationwide surveys conducted recently to assess the mindset of people of India for tobacco consumption have revealed some encouraging and interesting trends:

Surveys show the need to rectify the shortcomings of law

The telephonic survey conducted by consumer interest organization Consumer VOICE involving nearly 1500 adults across 10 states in the country found that over 80 percent of respondents believed that the use of tobacco products like cigarettes, bidis and smokeless tobacco is a very serious problem. Around 88 percent of respondents extended strong support towards strengthening the existing tobacco law to address the tobacco epidemic in India while numerous respondents supported banning smoking completely in public places by eliminating special smoking zones in restaurants, airports, hotels, and restaurants.

Similar support for a strong tobacco control law was revealed by another survey on Twitter. The survey results gave a glimpse of the youth’s views on what is needed for strengthening tobacco control in India to save millions of people from lifetime of addiction, disease, and death. The More than 30,000 people responded to the twitter poll conducted from 8-12 Feb 2021. The poll revealed at least 94.6 per cent of the respondents agreed that secondhand smoking was impacting the health of children and women; and that, smoking should be completely banned in public places such as restaurants, hotels, and airports. Though smoking is already prohibited in indoor public places under the Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) 2003, it allows for designated smoking area in restaurants, hotels, and airports. This exemption is being misused brazenly, leading to smoking in public places and non-smokers being exposed to secondhand smoke.

Almost all the respondents (99 per cent) took strong exception to the fact that 5500 children in India are daily initiating the deadly habit of tobacco use. All of them were voted for banning the display and advertisement of tobacco products at the point-of-sale ie shops, kiosks etc.

Though advertisement of tobacco products is banned under COTPA 2003, a recent report revealed that these products are being aggressively advertised at the point of sale, especially around educational institutions to lure children and teenagers.

About 96 per cent of the respondents supported that rules and regulations made to control life-threatening tobacco products like cigarettes, bidis, gutkha which are being openly violated, should invite stronger penalties.

The challenge and solution before us are clear. India has the second-largest number of tobacco consumers (268 million) in the world. Alarmingly, nearly 1.2 million Indians die every year from tobacco-related diseases. The evidence is clear: Tobacco is a burden to development.

We are losing millions of our youth to tobacco. Its not a healthy sign for a country which values human life more than profits. If we really dream of having a strong and healthy India, then we need to healthy youth. This can be possible if we save them from the clutches of addictive and deadly tobacco products.

Recently, Modi Government took a bold decision to initiate the process of amending the existing tobacco control legislation, COTPA 2003 to address its key gaps. The loopholes such as the exceptions that allow smoking areas in restaurants/hotels and airports despite a ban on smoking in public places; the misleading impression given by emission yields on cigarette packets, the prominent display given to tobacco advertisements and products in stores despite a ban on such advertising. Insufficient penalties in the law also make it ineffective for regulating tobacco consumption and ensuring its effective enforcement.

Proposed amendments in COTPA garnering huge support from public

The amendments as proposed in Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) (Amendment) Bill, 2020 calls for the removal of proviso allowing smoking areas in restaurants, hotels, and airports. This will provide complete protection to non-smokers and end the mushrooming of Hookah Bars that exploit the current gaps in this provision. Removing the exception for designated smoking areas will also lead to India meeting best practice standards for smoke-free environments under the WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic (GTCR).

Removing provisions that allow Point of Sale (PoS) and on/in-pack advertisements will prohibit the display of tobacco products at PoS and prohibit all tobacco industry sponsorship including corporate social responsibility programs. Increasing the minimum age of sale from 18 to 21 years will ensure protection of our future generations from early initiation and the hazards of tobacco use.

In fact, since 2014, various bold steps have been taken by the Modi Government to control the tobacco usage in the country. All the packets of cigarettes, bidis, chewing tobacco have 85 per cent pictorial warnings. E-cigarettes have been completely banned -which is a very commendable step.

Now, the proposed amendments in the COTPA will go a long way in making India healthier.

The government while working towards reducing tobacco usage should parrallely consider a policy initiative to wean itself away from reliance on taxes on Tobacco products. The high taxes on Tobacco products at State and central level was intended to curb its use. One of the “unintended consequences” is that government coffers disproportionately rely on taxes on tobacco products. Unless Government policies are aimed towards reducing its reliance on tobacco taxes, the sustainability of the efforts is in question.

All the stakeholders need to join hands to protect the present and future generation from the devastating health, social, environmental, and economic consequences of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke.