Empowered Committee To Deal With Tobacco Industry Constituted: Vini Mahajan
Author(s): City Air NewsChandigarh, July 18, 2015: Carrying forward its crusade against tobacco and to ensure forceful implementation of Tobacco Control Act, Punjab government has become the first state to have constituted an Empowered...
cityairnews
Jul 18, 2015 12:30
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Chandigarh, July 18, 2015: Carrying forward its crusade against tobacco and to ensure forceful implementation of Tobacco Control Act, Punjab government has become the first state to have constituted an Empowered Committee to deal with Tobacco Industry Interference in Public Health Policies.
The Committee headed by the Principal Secretary Health Mrs. Vini Mahajan would have Principal Secretary Home Financial Commissioner Taxation Secretary Health cum Commissioner FDA as designated special officer, Director Information and Public Relations, as members and Director Health and Family Welfare would be the Member Secretary.
Mrs. Vini Mahajan said that the high powered committee would mainly focus on the implementation of Section 5.3 of WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control across the state. Explaining the Section 5.3 of WHO FCTC she said that it states that “in setting and implementing their public health policies with respect to tobacco control, parties shall act to protect these policies from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry in accordance with national law".
It was also felt that whenever any move was made by any state/central government to implement COTPA/FSSAI (ban on flavored chewing tobacco/E-Cigarettes under Drugs and Cosmetics act, the Tobacco Industry (TI) tried to scuttle the process by sending representations or by using their clout. Recently implementation of Pack warnings on 85% area on both sides of packs of tobacco products has been delayed allegedly because of this and in states increased VAT is not applicable to all Tobacco products like Bidis. India is a signatory to WHO FCTC treaty so government of India and all State governments are legally bound to implement all its provisions including section 5.3 (Dealing with Tobacco Industry Interference), said Mrs. Mahajan.
Date:
Saturday, July 18, 2015
