Mumbai, May 04: Advocacy forum for tobacco control (AFCI) today cautioned the Union Government to carefully draft the rules concerning the bill banning advertisement of cigarettes and other tobacco products to prevent tobacco industry from exploiting any loopholes. Hailing the passage of the bill by the parliament as "a landmark event in the annals of public health in India," AFTC in a release said, "The enactment of the legislation is only the first step in the long march towards effective tobacco control."


The Lok Sabha on April 30 had passed the cigarettes and other tobacco products (prohibition of advertisement and regulation of trade and commerce, production, supply and distribution) bill, 2001.

Stating that "successful implementation of the bill's provisions required full participation of the civil society in both the educational and enforcement aspects," AFTC said community mobilisation was essential for increasing awareness of these measures among the people.

Besides banning advertisement of cigarettes and other tobacco products, the bill also prohibits sponsorship of sports and cultural events by manufacturers of these products.

The legislation, passed by Rajya Sabha in the first week of April, seeks to ban sale of tobacco products to minors besides proposing to make punishment for offences by companies more stringent.
Bureau Report