Every year, Big Tobacco’s externalized costs amount to hundreds of billions of dollars. Why do we continue to pick up the tab?
Sign up this petition to raise your voice against Big Tobacco.
Download the factsheet below.
Every year, Big Tobacco’s externalized costs amount to hundreds of billions of dollars. Why do we continue to pick up the tab?
Sign up this petition to raise your voice against Big Tobacco.
Download the factsheet below.
Standing today we all know that smoking cigarettes and any other form of tobacco products, in that matter, kill us. But do you know it has devastating effects on our environment too?
Yes, tobacco waste does pollute soil and water bodies. But it is not limited just to this.
The tobacco industry destroys our environment in some or the other way in every stage of its life cycle, i.e. tobacco growing, production, consumption, and disposal.
A detailed study on this was made by NICPR-ICMR, The Union, SPH AIIMS Jodhpur, and us as a State Partner Institution.
It was to assess the environmental burden in terms of plastic, paper, foil, and filter waste, posed by various smoked and smokeless tobacco products at the National and State level.
This cross-sectional study was conducted in 33 districts of 17 states and UTs across the country. After exclusion of duplicates, 200 unique tobacco products including 70 cigarette brands, 94 bidi brands, and 58 SLT brands were procured from across the country to ensure representation and generalizability from all the geographic regions of the country. Gross weight and segregated weights of the plastic, paper, foil, and filter content were taken from the procured samples and were correlated with the data from GATS-2 to arrive at the final results.
Download the research report to learn more about the devastating impact of tobacco on our environment.
Also check out this report for West Bengal.
Tobacco consumption continues to be the leading preventable cause of death in the developing countries, especially like India. In the state of West Bengal, about one-third of the adult population use tobacco in some form – smoked and smokeless. Tobacco sales to minors are often lucrative and these injurious products are commonly sold throughout West Bengal in a variety of retail settings, including permanent and temporary structures. Besides, evidences and literature studies have also demonstrated that higher tobacco vendor density is associated with increased youth experimentation, and increased youth and adult tobacco use.
Introduction of Tobacco Vendor Licensing system will regulate the numbers of unlawful Point of Sale including street / mobile vendors selling tobacco products.
Procedure for Tobacco Vendor Licensing:
West Bengal Municipal Act, 1993 and West Bengal Municipal Corporation Act, 2006 In accordance to the powers conferred under the West Bengal Municipal Act, 1993 (West Bengal Act XXII of 1993), section 201 and as per West Bengal Municipal Corporation Act, 2006 section 273 (Schedule IV) mandates that for use of any premises for non-residential purposes, a license must be obtained from Chairman/Municipal Commissioner. The provisions under the respective sections further stipulate:
(1) No person shall use or permit to be used any premises for any of the non-residential purposes as mentioned in Schedule II, without or otherwise than in conformity with a license granted by the Chairman (Mayor)/Municipal Commissioner in this behalf on such terms and conditions as may be determined by regulations.
(2) The Board of Councilors shall determine by regulations a scale of fee to be paid for the issue of license in respect of premises used for non-residential purposes.
The Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 was enacted in May 2003 essentially to discourage the consumption of cigarettes and other tobacco products and to protect youth and the general population from the harmful effects of tobacco use. This act is applicable to the entire country.
Section 4 of COTPA prohibits smoking in public places and Section 6 of COTPA protects the minors and youths from tobacco by regulating and restricting the tobacco business. All educational institutions are defined under COTPA and are to abide by the law to comply with the provisions of Section4 and Section 6 of COTPA.
In order to ensure the compliance to the law, following things require to be ensured at the institutional level –
It is further added that under the law
According to Section 77 Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 ‘Whoever gives, or causes to be given, to any child any intoxicating liquor or any narcotic drug or tobacco products or psychotropic substance, except on the order of a duly qualified medical practitioner, shall be punishable with rigorous imprisonment for a terms which may extend to seven years and shall also be liable to a fine which may extend up to one lakh rupees”. According to Section 2(12) of the Act “child” means a person who has not completed eighteen years of age.
For educational institutes in West Bengal and its people, we are presenting the Guidelines defined by Government of India for declaring an educational institute and its near surroundings a Tobacco Zone in Bengali.
India has 274 million tobacco users and a tobacco use prevalence of 38% in rural areas. Tobacco consumption causes 1 million deaths and costs the health system nearly US$23 billion annually. Tobacco control policies exist but lack proper implementation. It is well established that people with lower incomes and or lower levels of completed education are more likely to smoke. Also people with the low incomes and educational levels are significantly more likely to smoke if they live in rural or remote areas (30%) than big cities (20%).
We present here for you, the Bengali version of the guidelines on tobacco control for Panchayat areas.
Tobacco is the foremost preventable cause of death and disease in the world today. Tobacco use is one of the common risk factors for 4 major Non-communicable Diseases, i.e. Cancer, Cardio-vascular diseases, and accounts for more than two third of all new cases of NCD. Tobacco use alone accounts for one in six of all deaths resulting from NCD. There are evidences to prove that burden of NCD is increasing in low-income and middle-income countries like India and contributing to poverty, loss of productivity and increase in health costs.
The National Tobacco Control Cell (NTCC) is responsible for overall policy formulation, planning, monitoring and evaluation of the different activities envisaged under the programme. Every identified State/UT has a State Tobacco Control Cell (STCC) in the State Health Department. Every state should have a State Level Coordination Committee headed by Chief Secretary or his nominee and Principal Secretary/Secretary (Health) as the member secretary. The State Nodal officer will extend support to the member secretary in convening the meetings of the SLCC.
The major activities of STCC are: Training, Integrating Tobacco Control with other health programmes/activities, and Incorporating Tobacco Control in the state level IEC campaign.
Role and Responsibilities of STCC:
programme as per the quarterly report format.
Service Scheme, National Cadet Corps (NCC), Indian Medical Association, Indian
Dental Association, Rotary International, SHGs etc for creating awareness against
tobacco.
9.Coordination with Departments of Agriculture, Social Welfare, Rural Development, Labour and other stakeholders for developing sustainable alternative crops and livelihood for tobacco growers/ workers and bidi rollers.
of Utilization Certificate (UC) to ensure regular fund flow.
Download your copy of application guidelines for National Tobacco Control Program In Bengali.
Tobacco use is a major risk factor associated with Non-Communicable Diseases. To address this issue, the Government of India launched the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) as a new initiative in 2007-08. The component of programme is training of health care workers on harmful effects of tobacco end second hand smoke, provisions under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003, and providing help to tobacco users for quitting tobacco use.
This Health Worker Guide in Bengali of National Tobacco Control Programme provide basic knowledge to sensitize the health workers on tobacco problems in India, health effects of tobacco and second hand smoke, provisions under anti tobacco law and their role in educating the communities to bring down the prevalence of tobacco use and protecting people’s health by helping them quit tobacco use. The guide is written in simple language with focused message to be used by the health care workers at primary level of health care delivery system in West Bengal.
FCTC Guideline:
Guidelines for implementation of Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control on the protection of public health policies with respect to tobacco control from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry. Use of the guidelines for implementation of Article 5.3 of the Convention will have an overarching impact on countries tobacco control policies and on implementation of the Convention, because the guidelines recognize that tobacco industry interference, including that from the State-owned tobacco industry, cuts across a number of tobacco control policy areas, as stated in the Preamble of the Convention, articles referring to specific tobacco control policies and the Rules of Procedure of the Conference of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.. The purpose of these guidelines is to ensure that efforts to protect tobacco control from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry are comprehensive and effective.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES:
Principle 1: There is a fundamental and irreconcilable conflict between the tobacco industry’s interests and public health policy interests.
Principle 2: Parties, when dealing with the tobacco industry or those working to further its interests, should be accountable and transparent.
Principle 3: Parties should require the tobacco industry and those working to further its interests to operate and act in a manner that is accountable and transparent.
Principle 4: Because their products are lethal, the tobacco industry should not be granted incentives to establish or run their businesses.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
(1)Raise awareness about the addictive and harmful nature of tobacco products and about tobacco industry interference with Parties’ tobacco control policies.
(2) Establish measures to limit interactions with the tobacco industry and ensure the transparency of those interactions that occur.
(3) Reject partnerships and non-binding or non-enforceable agreements with the
tobacco industry.
(4) Avoid conflicts of interest for government officials and employees.
(5) Require that information provided by the tobacco industry be transparent and
accurate.
(6) Denormalize and, to the extent possible, regulate activities described as “socially
responsible” by the tobacco industry, including but not limited to activities described as “corporate social responsibility”.
(7) Do not give preferential treatment to the tobacco industry.
(8) Treat State-owned tobacco industry in the same way as any other tobacco industry.
Tobacco kills more than 8 million people globally every year. More than 7 million of these deaths are from direct tobacco use and around 1.2 million are due to non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke.
Tobacco smoking is a known risk factor for many respiratory infections and increases the severity of respiratory diseases. A review of studies by public health experts convened by WHO on 29 April 2020 found that smokers are more likely to develop severe disease with COVID-19, compared to non-smokers.
COVID-19 is an infectious disease that primarily attacks the lungs. Smoking impairs lung function making it harder for the body to fight off corona viruses and other diseases. Tobacco is also a major risk factor for non communicable diseases like cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory disease and diabetes which put people with these conditions at higher risk for developing severe illness when affected by COVID-19. Available research suggests that smokers are at higher risk of Covid-19 infection going critical.
WHO is constantly evaluating new research, including research that examines the link between tobacco use, nicotine use, and COVID-19. WHO urges researchers, scientists and the media to be cautious about amplifying unproven claims that tobacco or nicotine could reduce the risk of COVID-19. There is currently insufficient information to confirm any link between tobacco or nicotine in the prevention or treatment of COVID-19.
Nicotine replacement therapies, such as gum and patches are designed to help smokers quit tobacco. WHO recommends that smokers take immediate steps to quit by using proven methods such as toll-free quit lines, mobile text-messaging programmes, and nicotine replacement therapies.
Within 20 minutes of quitting, elevated heart rate and blood pressure drop. After 12 hours, the carbon monoxide level in the bloodstream drops to normal. Within 2-12 weeks, circulation improves and lung function increases. After 1-9 months, coughing and shortness of breath decrease.
WHO stresses the importance of ethically approved, high-quality, systematic research that will contribute to advancing individual and public health, emphasizing that promotion of unproven interventions could have a negative effect on health.
Cigarette smoking during childhood and adolescence causes significant health problems among young people, including an increase in the number and severity of respiratory illnesses, decreased physical fitness and potential effects on lung growth and function. Smoking leads to disease and disability and harms nearly every organ of the body. Secondhand smoke exposure contributes to approximately 41,000 deaths among nonsmoking adults and 400 deaths in infants each year. Secondhand smoke causes stroke, lung cancer, and coronary heart disease in adults. Children who are exposed to secondhand smoke are at increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome, acute respiratory infections, middle ear disease, more severe asthma, respiratory symptoms, and slowed lung growth.
It is easy to get addicted to something like tobacco but very hard to come out of it. Hence we have prepared a guidebook for those who are trying hard to get rid of this life threatening drug but finding it hard. The guidebook to quit tobacco is translated in Bengali for easy reception by the people of West Bengal, which has one of largest number of tobacco users in India.
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