Budget must increase taxes levied on tobacco
Whether it be the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, the creation of yet more districts, or Universal Secondary Education, there seems no end to the many and varied demands being made on the Ugandan government’s limited revenue base. It takes a brave person to be Minister of Finance.
So, we take this opportunity, on the World Health Organisation’s “World No Tobacco Day”, to remind Mr Ezra Suruma that he can reduce the growing gap between government expenditure and government revenue by increasing excise duty on cigarettes, which would at the same time reduce smoking-related deaths and illnesses, thereby increasing Ugandan life expectancy.
This tax increase would indeed be a marriage made in heaven between the Ministries of Finance and Health. So, we wonder why Mr Suruma has taken so long to implement such an obviously welcome measure.
We trust that his forthcoming budget will make amends by including a substantial increase in tobacco excise duty. And he will have a very strong argument to make his case to the tobacco companies if one can recall that in last year’s budget, taxes were increased on mineral water but not on cigarettes. The contradiction therein is blatantly apparent.
That the forthcoming budget should be tough on tobacco receives added support from two quarters. Firstly, Vice President Bukenya, in a recent visit to West Nile, said that tobacco growing should be abandoned in favour of other cash crops, as tobacco had made the people poorer.
Secondly the Ugandan Cabinet has supported the WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), and the country’s formal ratification will take place very shortly. The FCTC is the world’s first global public health treaty.
It aims to protect present and future generations from the devastating health, social, environmental and economic consequences of tobacco through comprehensive tobacco advertising bans, price and tax increases, big graphic health warning labels on tobacco products, measures to protect people from secondhand smoke and alternative crops for tobacco farmers.
Kenya, long ago, and Tanzania, recently, have ratified the FCTC, so it is a straightforward matter for tax policies to be harmonised within the East African Community and achieve a goal of the FCTC – regular and substantial increases in tobacco taxation.
So, on budget day we shall be expecting to hear good news from Mr Suruma; we expect you to increase excise duty on cigarettes.
Online at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/oped/oped05311.php
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Cracking on smoking in schools, colleges
Cracking on smoking in schools, colleges
As part of its efforts to deter students consuming tobacco products, Karnataka will appoint 130 officials from various departments to take action against students smoking or consuming tobacco products.
Tobacco is said to have been introduced in Bijapur in the Adil Shahi era. Indian farmers who grew tobacco later, probably had no inkling of the hazards of their crop and luckily also did not use phosphatic fertilisers in modern times. However, it was discovered in a US based research that tobacco roots may absorb radioactivity from the soil.
There has been considerable fluctuation in the production of tobacco during the last two decades, even thought the area under the crop showed only slight fluctuation as per data of the Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Government of India. Endowed with various agro-climatic zones, India grows all types of tobacco (except oriental), which are broadly classified as flue cured Virginia (cigarette tobacco) and non-Virginia types. Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka between them account for 82.4 per cent of the area under tobacco crop. However, the production of tobacco in the country has been stagnant at around 6 lakh tonnes during the last two decades.
The need for development of alternate use for tobacco arises because of compulsion generated mainly out of health risks of using tobacco for introducing tobacco control laws. Tobacco is a major revenue-generating commodity in many countries.
As part of its efforts to deter students consuming tobacco products, Karnataka will appoint 130 officials from various departments in the state as implementing officers. These officers would be empowered to take action against students smoking or consuming tobacco products, said S Prakash, joint director (medical), Directorate of Health and Family Welfare.
In 2004, the year that Karnataka set up a State Anti-Tobacco Cell, a number of officers were identified from various departments like BMP, education, health, at district and taluk levels, along with principals of educational institutions to take action against students smoking or consuming tobacco products. The Central National Rural Health Mission has embarked in the anti-tobacco pilot project that has so far included five states. Karnataka is to be included too, with Bangalore Medical College as the nodal centre for the District Tobacco Control Programme, as well as District Hospital, Gulbarga, according to Dr Prakash. The funds for these two districts is said to be Rs 13.43 lakh.
Effective treatment for tobacco dependence could significantly improve overall public health within only a few years.
By Shonali Misra
Online at: http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/May312007/panorama200705314746.asp
As part of its efforts to deter students consuming tobacco products, Karnataka will appoint 130 officials from various departments to take action against students smoking or consuming tobacco products.
Tobacco is said to have been introduced in Bijapur in the Adil Shahi era. Indian farmers who grew tobacco later, probably had no inkling of the hazards of their crop and luckily also did not use phosphatic fertilisers in modern times. However, it was discovered in a US based research that tobacco roots may absorb radioactivity from the soil.
There has been considerable fluctuation in the production of tobacco during the last two decades, even thought the area under the crop showed only slight fluctuation as per data of the Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Government of India. Endowed with various agro-climatic zones, India grows all types of tobacco (except oriental), which are broadly classified as flue cured Virginia (cigarette tobacco) and non-Virginia types. Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka between them account for 82.4 per cent of the area under tobacco crop. However, the production of tobacco in the country has been stagnant at around 6 lakh tonnes during the last two decades.
The need for development of alternate use for tobacco arises because of compulsion generated mainly out of health risks of using tobacco for introducing tobacco control laws. Tobacco is a major revenue-generating commodity in many countries.
As part of its efforts to deter students consuming tobacco products, Karnataka will appoint 130 officials from various departments in the state as implementing officers. These officers would be empowered to take action against students smoking or consuming tobacco products, said S Prakash, joint director (medical), Directorate of Health and Family Welfare.
In 2004, the year that Karnataka set up a State Anti-Tobacco Cell, a number of officers were identified from various departments like BMP, education, health, at district and taluk levels, along with principals of educational institutions to take action against students smoking or consuming tobacco products. The Central National Rural Health Mission has embarked in the anti-tobacco pilot project that has so far included five states. Karnataka is to be included too, with Bangalore Medical College as the nodal centre for the District Tobacco Control Programme, as well as District Hospital, Gulbarga, according to Dr Prakash. The funds for these two districts is said to be Rs 13.43 lakh.
Effective treatment for tobacco dependence could significantly improve overall public health within only a few years.
By Shonali Misra
Online at: http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/May312007/panorama200705314746.asp
Becoming tobacco-free
Becoming tobacco-free
Make a list of the reasons why you want to quit smoking. Keep the list on hand so you can look at it when you have a nicotine craving.
As many as 2,200 Indians stop smoking every day — by dying. According to statistics, tobacco is the second major cause of death in the world. Tobacco is addictive. It contains nicotine, a chemical that is addictive making it very hard to quit but it isn’t impossible. The smoking forms of tobacco are beedis, cigarettes, cigars etc; the smokeless forms include chewing paan with zarda (tobacco), gutka, pan masala and snuff.
One cigarette and one beedi contain approximately 4,000 chemicals while one packet of Pan Paraag, gutka, Khaini, and Hans contain about 3,000 chemicals. Forty per cent of cancers detected in India are because of tobacco use. One cigarette and one beedi reduce seven minutes of your life while one packet of Pan Paraag, or Hans reduce four minutes of your life.
It causes sexual impotency in men, miscarriage and infertility in women, wrinkled skin, stained teeth, bad odour, mouth ulceration and difficulty in swallowing. Every organ in the body is affected from head to toe, especially the brain, lungs and heart. There could be heart attacks, chronic cough and lung disease, worsened condition of diabetes, blood pressure and lower stamina.
Babies born to mothers who smoke can be sicker, die suddenly, or have more infections of the middle ear, coughing and wheezing.
Cause problems to family, friends and co-workers from the smoke from the cigarettes — exposing them to the same dangers. This is called second hand smoking
By stopping, a person will no longer be a bad influence on younger children in his or her family and in the society. The self-confidence, and self-image of the person improves, when he or she quits. No more looks of disapproval or feelings of guilt.
Saving of money is another advantage, expenditure on buying cigarettes, lighters, ashtrays, matches and so on can be saved. Quitting smoking reduces bad breath, yellowing of teeth or fingers. Overall performance of the person in physical activities will be remarkably improved after quitting the habit of smoking.
Pick a stop date. Choose a date one to two weeks away so you can get ready to quit. If possible, choose a time when things in your life will change. Or just pick a time when you don’t expect any extra stress at school, work or home. For example, quit after final exams or a project assignment, not during them. Make a list of the reasons why you want to quit. Keep the list on hand so you can look at it when you have a nicotine craving.
Keep track of where, when and why you smoke. You may want to make notes for a week or so to know ahead of time when and why you will crave for tobacco.
Plan what you’ll do instead of using tobacco. You may also want to plan what you’ll say to people who pressure you to smoke or chew.
Throw away all of your tobacco. Clean out your room if you have smoked there or left a tobacco packet lying around. Throw away your ashtrays, lighters, empty packets, anything that you connect with your tobacco habit.
Tell your friends that you’re quitting. Ask them not to pressure you. Find other things to do with them besides using tobacco.
Stop on the stiulated date and time. Plan little rewards for yourself for each tobacco-free day, week or month. For example, buy yourself a new shirt or ask a friend to see a movie with you.
Things to do instead of smoking or chewing: Chew sugarless gum, cardamom, a toffee, etc. Call a friend. Go to a place where you can’t smoke. Take a walk or work out. Remind yourself why you want to quit. Develop a healthy lifestyle.
(Inputs: Tobacco Cessasion Center, NIMHANS, Bangalore)
Online at : http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/May312007/panorama200705314743.asp
Make a list of the reasons why you want to quit smoking. Keep the list on hand so you can look at it when you have a nicotine craving.
As many as 2,200 Indians stop smoking every day — by dying. According to statistics, tobacco is the second major cause of death in the world. Tobacco is addictive. It contains nicotine, a chemical that is addictive making it very hard to quit but it isn’t impossible. The smoking forms of tobacco are beedis, cigarettes, cigars etc; the smokeless forms include chewing paan with zarda (tobacco), gutka, pan masala and snuff.
One cigarette and one beedi contain approximately 4,000 chemicals while one packet of Pan Paraag, gutka, Khaini, and Hans contain about 3,000 chemicals. Forty per cent of cancers detected in India are because of tobacco use. One cigarette and one beedi reduce seven minutes of your life while one packet of Pan Paraag, or Hans reduce four minutes of your life.
It causes sexual impotency in men, miscarriage and infertility in women, wrinkled skin, stained teeth, bad odour, mouth ulceration and difficulty in swallowing. Every organ in the body is affected from head to toe, especially the brain, lungs and heart. There could be heart attacks, chronic cough and lung disease, worsened condition of diabetes, blood pressure and lower stamina.
Babies born to mothers who smoke can be sicker, die suddenly, or have more infections of the middle ear, coughing and wheezing.
Cause problems to family, friends and co-workers from the smoke from the cigarettes — exposing them to the same dangers. This is called second hand smoking
By stopping, a person will no longer be a bad influence on younger children in his or her family and in the society. The self-confidence, and self-image of the person improves, when he or she quits. No more looks of disapproval or feelings of guilt.
Saving of money is another advantage, expenditure on buying cigarettes, lighters, ashtrays, matches and so on can be saved. Quitting smoking reduces bad breath, yellowing of teeth or fingers. Overall performance of the person in physical activities will be remarkably improved after quitting the habit of smoking.
Pick a stop date. Choose a date one to two weeks away so you can get ready to quit. If possible, choose a time when things in your life will change. Or just pick a time when you don’t expect any extra stress at school, work or home. For example, quit after final exams or a project assignment, not during them. Make a list of the reasons why you want to quit. Keep the list on hand so you can look at it when you have a nicotine craving.
Keep track of where, when and why you smoke. You may want to make notes for a week or so to know ahead of time when and why you will crave for tobacco.
Plan what you’ll do instead of using tobacco. You may also want to plan what you’ll say to people who pressure you to smoke or chew.
Throw away all of your tobacco. Clean out your room if you have smoked there or left a tobacco packet lying around. Throw away your ashtrays, lighters, empty packets, anything that you connect with your tobacco habit.
Tell your friends that you’re quitting. Ask them not to pressure you. Find other things to do with them besides using tobacco.
Stop on the stiulated date and time. Plan little rewards for yourself for each tobacco-free day, week or month. For example, buy yourself a new shirt or ask a friend to see a movie with you.
Things to do instead of smoking or chewing: Chew sugarless gum, cardamom, a toffee, etc. Call a friend. Go to a place where you can’t smoke. Take a walk or work out. Remind yourself why you want to quit. Develop a healthy lifestyle.
(Inputs: Tobacco Cessasion Center, NIMHANS, Bangalore)
Online at : http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/May312007/panorama200705314743.asp
Putting Out The Fire
Putting Out The Fire
Deccan Herald
Those who stop smoking experience positive health changes that are detectable within days, but it may take years for the medical risks in ex-smokers to drop to the levels enjoyed by those who have never smoked.
Smoking increases the risk of respiratory infections and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Smoking predisposes to oral, lung, and other cancers. Smokers are more likely to suffer from high blood pressure, and to experience a heart attack or stroke. Smokers are also at increased risk of disturbances ranging from dental caries to osteoporosis. Women smokers are more likely to have abortions. Their children are more likely to have behavioural disorders. Nonsmokers, who regularly inhale cigarette smoke also suffer higher medical risks.
A study of half a million Americans who were followed-up for an average of nine years showed that the risk of death was doubled in smokers. In contrast, those who stop smoking experience positive health changes that are detectable within days; but, it may take years for the heightened medical risks in ex-smokers to drop to the levels enjoyed by those who have never smoked. A message here is that one should not start smoking; but what can be done for those who already smoke and can’t stop?
Many medicines can help smokers drop their deadly habit. Smokers are addicted to the nicotine in cigarettes, but the chemicals in the tobacco tar are what especially harm health. So, nicotine replacement can help smokers quit cigarettes without suffering the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. Nicotine replacement is available as a patch, gum, lozenge, inhaler, and spray. The patch is applied to the skin, the gum is chewed, the lozenges are sucked, the spray is sprayed into the mouth, and the inhaler is breathed in. Each method of delivery of nicotine has its advantages and disadvantages.
Bupropion is another effective treatment. Patients take this drug for about three weeks before attempting a clean break with smoking.
About half of treated patients successfully quit smoking within two months, but most gradually relapse during the rest of the year. It appears that, to remain tobacco-free, patients need to take bupropion for a year or longer; but stopping bupropion thereafter is again associated with relapse during the succeeding year. This tells us that smoking is a chronic disease for many; treatment merely keeps the disease at bay. A plus with bupropion is that it reduces the risk of weight gain and depression after successful withdrawal from tobacco.
Why does bupropion work? One reason is that it increases the availability of dopamine in the reward centres of the brain; dopamine is the reward chemical activated during smoking. Another reason is that the principal metabolite of bupropion blocks the receptors on which nicotine acts in the brain; this makes smoking less pleasurable.
Varenicline is the latest drug. It received approval in the USA in May 2006. It is the best treatment available to-date. Its efficacy was demonstrated in six trials in which 3,659 chronic smokers participated. Five of these studies were randomised controlled trials conducted on smokers who had previously averaged 21 cigarettes a day for about 25 years. In all five trials, varenicline outperformed placebo in smoking cessation rates. In two of the studies, varenicline was also superior to bupropion.
About 70 per cent of smokers can expect to remain tobacco-free if they take varenicline for six months; more than half of these smokers can expect to remain tobacco-free during the next six months even if they stop the treatment.
Varenicline produces nausea in about a third of patients but is otherwise well tolerated; few patients stop treatment because of side effects. Varenicline does not prevent weight gain associated with abstinence from smoking. Patients who successfully quit smoking during three months of treatment can extend treatment for a further three months to increase the chances of long-term abstinence. The drug weakly stimulates a part of the nicotine receptor in the brain. Thus, in a way it mimics nicotine replacement therapy. It also blocks the nicotine receptor, diminishing the effect of nicotine from cigarettes should smoking resume.
Clonidine and nortriptyline are older drugs with modest efficacy against smoking. Topiramate, which helps alcoholics kick their habit, may also reduce smoking in these patients. Rimonabant, an anti-obesity drug, modestly reduces smoking rates. A vaccine against nicotine is under development.
Merely providing a medicine is insufficient; smokers also need counselling on how to stay tobacco-free. This guidance is provided through cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), a highly successful approach used to treat depression and other psychiatric disorders. Combinations of medicines may be more effective than one medicine alone.
It is unfortunate that, despite the terrible health price that smokers pay, few hospitals run special clinics for smokers. The National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, is one centre with a tobacco cessation clinic.
By Chittaranjan Andrade
(The writer is a professor, NIMHANS, Bangalore)
Online at: http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/May312007/panorama200705314742.asp
Deccan Herald
Those who stop smoking experience positive health changes that are detectable within days, but it may take years for the medical risks in ex-smokers to drop to the levels enjoyed by those who have never smoked.
Smoking increases the risk of respiratory infections and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Smoking predisposes to oral, lung, and other cancers. Smokers are more likely to suffer from high blood pressure, and to experience a heart attack or stroke. Smokers are also at increased risk of disturbances ranging from dental caries to osteoporosis. Women smokers are more likely to have abortions. Their children are more likely to have behavioural disorders. Nonsmokers, who regularly inhale cigarette smoke also suffer higher medical risks.
A study of half a million Americans who were followed-up for an average of nine years showed that the risk of death was doubled in smokers. In contrast, those who stop smoking experience positive health changes that are detectable within days; but, it may take years for the heightened medical risks in ex-smokers to drop to the levels enjoyed by those who have never smoked. A message here is that one should not start smoking; but what can be done for those who already smoke and can’t stop?
Many medicines can help smokers drop their deadly habit. Smokers are addicted to the nicotine in cigarettes, but the chemicals in the tobacco tar are what especially harm health. So, nicotine replacement can help smokers quit cigarettes without suffering the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. Nicotine replacement is available as a patch, gum, lozenge, inhaler, and spray. The patch is applied to the skin, the gum is chewed, the lozenges are sucked, the spray is sprayed into the mouth, and the inhaler is breathed in. Each method of delivery of nicotine has its advantages and disadvantages.
Bupropion is another effective treatment. Patients take this drug for about three weeks before attempting a clean break with smoking.
About half of treated patients successfully quit smoking within two months, but most gradually relapse during the rest of the year. It appears that, to remain tobacco-free, patients need to take bupropion for a year or longer; but stopping bupropion thereafter is again associated with relapse during the succeeding year. This tells us that smoking is a chronic disease for many; treatment merely keeps the disease at bay. A plus with bupropion is that it reduces the risk of weight gain and depression after successful withdrawal from tobacco.
Why does bupropion work? One reason is that it increases the availability of dopamine in the reward centres of the brain; dopamine is the reward chemical activated during smoking. Another reason is that the principal metabolite of bupropion blocks the receptors on which nicotine acts in the brain; this makes smoking less pleasurable.
Varenicline is the latest drug. It received approval in the USA in May 2006. It is the best treatment available to-date. Its efficacy was demonstrated in six trials in which 3,659 chronic smokers participated. Five of these studies were randomised controlled trials conducted on smokers who had previously averaged 21 cigarettes a day for about 25 years. In all five trials, varenicline outperformed placebo in smoking cessation rates. In two of the studies, varenicline was also superior to bupropion.
About 70 per cent of smokers can expect to remain tobacco-free if they take varenicline for six months; more than half of these smokers can expect to remain tobacco-free during the next six months even if they stop the treatment.
Varenicline produces nausea in about a third of patients but is otherwise well tolerated; few patients stop treatment because of side effects. Varenicline does not prevent weight gain associated with abstinence from smoking. Patients who successfully quit smoking during three months of treatment can extend treatment for a further three months to increase the chances of long-term abstinence. The drug weakly stimulates a part of the nicotine receptor in the brain. Thus, in a way it mimics nicotine replacement therapy. It also blocks the nicotine receptor, diminishing the effect of nicotine from cigarettes should smoking resume.
Clonidine and nortriptyline are older drugs with modest efficacy against smoking. Topiramate, which helps alcoholics kick their habit, may also reduce smoking in these patients. Rimonabant, an anti-obesity drug, modestly reduces smoking rates. A vaccine against nicotine is under development.
Merely providing a medicine is insufficient; smokers also need counselling on how to stay tobacco-free. This guidance is provided through cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), a highly successful approach used to treat depression and other psychiatric disorders. Combinations of medicines may be more effective than one medicine alone.
It is unfortunate that, despite the terrible health price that smokers pay, few hospitals run special clinics for smokers. The National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, is one centre with a tobacco cessation clinic.
By Chittaranjan Andrade
(The writer is a professor, NIMHANS, Bangalore)
Online at: http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/May312007/panorama200705314742.asp
Ban on tobacco advertising not enough
Deccan Herald
Ban on tobacco advertising not enough
The best policy for the government is to sufficiently alarm people, to launch massive awareness campaigns, and to put a disincentive to the tobacco industry.
One cannot help finding an ironical twist to the ritual fulminations against smoking every year on the World No Tobacco Day because the government in India can neither ban smoking nor promote it. Since Portuguese merchants first brought tobacco to India 400 years ago, the trade boomed and tobacco quickly established itself as the most important commodity passing through Goa in the 17th century, perfected after the British introduced modern commercially-produced cigarettes.
But smoking is essentially a lifestyle problem. While tobacco companies are the usual bete noire, credited with causing cancer, a deeper cause for many other diseases of industrial civilisation like lung cancer may lie in modern commercial processing and refining of foods. Three kinds of food processing that are said to adulterate our foods — refining, deep frying, and hydrogenation — are perhaps no less harmful than tobacco. Many are beginning to suggest that we should go after the food processing industries for selling us products that kill us from heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, and a host of other ailments that are unknown outside of modern industrial societies.
Can the government spare a thought on our lifestyles?
That’s why ban on tobacco advertising is simply not enough. Cigarettes still have a strong general appeal as a product, especially to young people, thanks to skillful marketing. The tobacco industry, for instance, had lobbied at the highest political level in Europe to try to prevent the EC passing a directive to ban tobacco advertising and sponsorship.
Tobacco kills — we all know that — but for the government tobacco is an extremely profitable means to kill. India produces about 0.64 million tonnes of tobacco per annum and is the second largest harvester of tobacco in the world after China. About 0.1013 million tonnes of tobacco are exported and the rest consumed within the country. India is the third largest consumer of tobacco in the world after China and the USA. Tobacco and tobacco products contribute over Rs 6,500 million in export earnings and over Rs 30,000 million to the excise of the country. But how to strike a balance between public welfare and revenue earning? According to an estimate, tobacco usage in India claims more than 8,00,000 lives annually.
Scholars on the subject argue that India is at the intersection of local and global forces fuelling a worldwide epidemic of smoking deaths.
Globally the number of smokers is expected to rise to 1.7 billion by 2020. The smoking epidemic that currently results in an estimated four million deaths annually is projected to rise to 10 million by 2030, 70 per cent of which will occur in developing countries. From the initial focus of men in high-income countries, the tobacco majors have turned to tap women both in developing and high-income countries, and more recently to men in low-income countries.
Ninety per cent of the smokers in the country start smoking before they are 24 years old, most of them experiencing their first puff before attaining the age of 18. Out of 1,000 teenagers who smoke, at least 500 have been found to die of tobacco-related diseases.
To go by a study of the Epidemiological Research Centre in Chennai, half the male tuberculosis deaths in India are caused by smoking. According to the World Health Organisation, if smoking is unchecked, by 2020, 1.5 million people in India will become regular smokers.
The rub is the volume of people making a living out the tobacco-related industries, which somehow feeds off the government policies and plays an important role in the Indian economy. The tobacco industry generates nearly five per cent of the budget revenue which is fairly substantial. About six million Indian farmers are engaged in growing tobacco. Another 20 million people work on tobacco farms, and a large percentage of the population is employed in the retail trade. Taking the employees’ families into account, the tobacco industry in India probably supports 100 million people.
Mind you, the worldwide trend is a downscale of smoking — even in high-smoking countries such as France, China and Japan. The 61st survey on household consumer expenditure by the National Sample Survey Organisation finds that smoking habit among Indians is on the decline as the percentage of rural and urban households having smokers has dropped sharply during the past 11 years.
But the freedom to slow-poison oneself without endangering others is also deemed a right in a fiercely independent country. So the best policy for the government is to sufficiently alarm people, to launch massive awareness campaigns, and to put a disincentive to the tobacco industry. In the USA, the drop in smoking has been attributed to a number of reasons — a growing awareness about the health-damaging effects of smoking, rising cigarette prices, rising cigarette taxes, aggressive anti-smoking campaigns and a decline in the social acceptability of smoking. India can take the cue.
Life after Quitting
* After two Weeks: Blood flow improves; nicotine has passed from the body
* Two weeks to three months: Circulation will improve, making walking and running easier; lung functioning increases up to 30 per cent
* After five Years : Risk of stroke will be substantially reduced; within five to 15 years after quitting, it becomes about the same as non-smokers
* After 10 years: Risk of dying from lung cancer will be about half of what it would have been if smoking is continued. Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, Esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas will also decrease
* After 15 years: Risk of dying from a heart attack is equal to a person who never smoked
Now A VACCINE
NicVAX is a vaccine against smoking which is presently under development. It produces antibodies against nicotine, the addictive substance in tobacco. If a vaccinated person smokes, the antibodies attach themselves to nicotine. The resultant nicotine-antibody complex is too large to cross the blood-brain barrier.
Consequently, the smoker does not experience the expected effect of smoking in his brain. Clinical trials on NicVAX have begun; the Food and Drug Administration in the USA has put this research on the fast track.
NicVAX could be useful for smokers who are trying to quit, and for abstinent smokers who wish to remain abstinent. NicVAX may also prevent smoking; for example, parents may vaccinate their children against the development of addiction. This then might be the first vaccine to prevent a behaviour rather than a disease!
Instead of smoking...
* Chew sugarless gum, cardamom, a toffee, etc
* Call a friend
* Go to a place where you can’t smoke
* Take a walk or work out
* Remind yourself why you want to quit
* Develop a healthy lifestyle
STEPS TO FOLLOW
* Stop on the stipulated date and time. lan little rewards for yourself for each tobacco-free day, week or month. Buy yourself a new shirt or ask a friend to see a movie with you.
* It is quite understandable if the person is not able to quit by himself, considering the addictive nature of tobacco. Help is available in the form of counselling and medication
* The Tobacco Cessation Clinic (TCC) a WHO and Ministry of Health, Government of India initiative, functions at the De-addiction Out Patient Department (OPD) of NIMHANS, Bangalore every Monday and Saturday from 9 am to 2 pm.
* You can call Sudha/Jerome at 080-26995311 (Tuesday-Friday, 9:30-4:40) or send a mail to tccbangalore@ gmail.com for further information.
By Prasenjit Chowdhury
Online at: http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/May312007/panorama200705304740.asp
===============================================
Ban on tobacco advertising not enough
The best policy for the government is to sufficiently alarm people, to launch massive awareness campaigns, and to put a disincentive to the tobacco industry.
One cannot help finding an ironical twist to the ritual fulminations against smoking every year on the World No Tobacco Day because the government in India can neither ban smoking nor promote it. Since Portuguese merchants first brought tobacco to India 400 years ago, the trade boomed and tobacco quickly established itself as the most important commodity passing through Goa in the 17th century, perfected after the British introduced modern commercially-produced cigarettes.
But smoking is essentially a lifestyle problem. While tobacco companies are the usual bete noire, credited with causing cancer, a deeper cause for many other diseases of industrial civilisation like lung cancer may lie in modern commercial processing and refining of foods. Three kinds of food processing that are said to adulterate our foods — refining, deep frying, and hydrogenation — are perhaps no less harmful than tobacco. Many are beginning to suggest that we should go after the food processing industries for selling us products that kill us from heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, and a host of other ailments that are unknown outside of modern industrial societies.
Can the government spare a thought on our lifestyles?
That’s why ban on tobacco advertising is simply not enough. Cigarettes still have a strong general appeal as a product, especially to young people, thanks to skillful marketing. The tobacco industry, for instance, had lobbied at the highest political level in Europe to try to prevent the EC passing a directive to ban tobacco advertising and sponsorship.
Tobacco kills — we all know that — but for the government tobacco is an extremely profitable means to kill. India produces about 0.64 million tonnes of tobacco per annum and is the second largest harvester of tobacco in the world after China. About 0.1013 million tonnes of tobacco are exported and the rest consumed within the country. India is the third largest consumer of tobacco in the world after China and the USA. Tobacco and tobacco products contribute over Rs 6,500 million in export earnings and over Rs 30,000 million to the excise of the country. But how to strike a balance between public welfare and revenue earning? According to an estimate, tobacco usage in India claims more than 8,00,000 lives annually.
Scholars on the subject argue that India is at the intersection of local and global forces fuelling a worldwide epidemic of smoking deaths.
Globally the number of smokers is expected to rise to 1.7 billion by 2020. The smoking epidemic that currently results in an estimated four million deaths annually is projected to rise to 10 million by 2030, 70 per cent of which will occur in developing countries. From the initial focus of men in high-income countries, the tobacco majors have turned to tap women both in developing and high-income countries, and more recently to men in low-income countries.
Ninety per cent of the smokers in the country start smoking before they are 24 years old, most of them experiencing their first puff before attaining the age of 18. Out of 1,000 teenagers who smoke, at least 500 have been found to die of tobacco-related diseases.
To go by a study of the Epidemiological Research Centre in Chennai, half the male tuberculosis deaths in India are caused by smoking. According to the World Health Organisation, if smoking is unchecked, by 2020, 1.5 million people in India will become regular smokers.
The rub is the volume of people making a living out the tobacco-related industries, which somehow feeds off the government policies and plays an important role in the Indian economy. The tobacco industry generates nearly five per cent of the budget revenue which is fairly substantial. About six million Indian farmers are engaged in growing tobacco. Another 20 million people work on tobacco farms, and a large percentage of the population is employed in the retail trade. Taking the employees’ families into account, the tobacco industry in India probably supports 100 million people.
Mind you, the worldwide trend is a downscale of smoking — even in high-smoking countries such as France, China and Japan. The 61st survey on household consumer expenditure by the National Sample Survey Organisation finds that smoking habit among Indians is on the decline as the percentage of rural and urban households having smokers has dropped sharply during the past 11 years.
But the freedom to slow-poison oneself without endangering others is also deemed a right in a fiercely independent country. So the best policy for the government is to sufficiently alarm people, to launch massive awareness campaigns, and to put a disincentive to the tobacco industry. In the USA, the drop in smoking has been attributed to a number of reasons — a growing awareness about the health-damaging effects of smoking, rising cigarette prices, rising cigarette taxes, aggressive anti-smoking campaigns and a decline in the social acceptability of smoking. India can take the cue.
Life after Quitting
* After two Weeks: Blood flow improves; nicotine has passed from the body
* Two weeks to three months: Circulation will improve, making walking and running easier; lung functioning increases up to 30 per cent
* After five Years : Risk of stroke will be substantially reduced; within five to 15 years after quitting, it becomes about the same as non-smokers
* After 10 years: Risk of dying from lung cancer will be about half of what it would have been if smoking is continued. Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, Esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas will also decrease
* After 15 years: Risk of dying from a heart attack is equal to a person who never smoked
Now A VACCINE
NicVAX is a vaccine against smoking which is presently under development. It produces antibodies against nicotine, the addictive substance in tobacco. If a vaccinated person smokes, the antibodies attach themselves to nicotine. The resultant nicotine-antibody complex is too large to cross the blood-brain barrier.
Consequently, the smoker does not experience the expected effect of smoking in his brain. Clinical trials on NicVAX have begun; the Food and Drug Administration in the USA has put this research on the fast track.
NicVAX could be useful for smokers who are trying to quit, and for abstinent smokers who wish to remain abstinent. NicVAX may also prevent smoking; for example, parents may vaccinate their children against the development of addiction. This then might be the first vaccine to prevent a behaviour rather than a disease!
Instead of smoking...
* Chew sugarless gum, cardamom, a toffee, etc
* Call a friend
* Go to a place where you can’t smoke
* Take a walk or work out
* Remind yourself why you want to quit
* Develop a healthy lifestyle
STEPS TO FOLLOW
* Stop on the stipulated date and time. lan little rewards for yourself for each tobacco-free day, week or month. Buy yourself a new shirt or ask a friend to see a movie with you.
* It is quite understandable if the person is not able to quit by himself, considering the addictive nature of tobacco. Help is available in the form of counselling and medication
* The Tobacco Cessation Clinic (TCC) a WHO and Ministry of Health, Government of India initiative, functions at the De-addiction Out Patient Department (OPD) of NIMHANS, Bangalore every Monday and Saturday from 9 am to 2 pm.
* You can call Sudha/Jerome at 080-26995311 (Tuesday-Friday, 9:30-4:40) or send a mail to tccbangalore@ gmail.com for further information.
By Prasenjit Chowdhury
Online at: http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/May312007/panorama200705304740.asp
===============================================
Friday, May 25, 2007
OMINOUS SMOKE SIGNALS
Tehelka News
News - OMINOUS SMOKE SIGNALS
May 26 2007
Does the commerce ministry want FDI in tobacco? Mihir Srivastava smells strong hints that it might
The contentious issue of foreign direct investment (FDI) in tobacco has snowballed into a larger controversy following the hush-hush trip of a government delegation to Zimbabwe and Brazil to study the impact of such policy in those countries.
The fact that the commerce ministry had planned a trip like this more than 15 years ago and could not muster the courage to send the members has set the cat among the pigeons. Many, understandably, are asking the million-dollar question: was there any need to send the delegation?
Tehelka has reliably learnt that Tobacco Board of India (TBI) chairman Dr J. Suresh Babu led the delegation from February 28-March 12, triggering speculations that the mandarins of the commerce ministry were actively contemplating the FDI route, vehemently opposed by a large chunk of tobacco growers in India.
Not many have liked the trip. Says Rayapati Sambasiva Rao, MP and also a member of the TBI: “This is a move to allow international middlemen in the tobacco markets in India. They are very big buyers, will control the prices and inevitably lead to farmers getting a raw deal. I will take up the matter at the highest level — to the prime minister.”
India follows a transparent auction system where buyers, including international giants, procure tobacco from farmers. The system is unique to India, worked well for more than two decades, encouraged healthy competition in the market and ensured remunerative prices for the farmers.
“Unlike Brazil, tobacco farmers in India have small holdings. We cannot compete with the big tobacco cartels. They will pay us peanuts. We cannot allow FDI unless the present system continues,” says Vikram Raj Urs, a tobacco farmer and treasurer, Karnataka Tobacco Growers’ Forum.
Urs fears are not misplaced. Nearly two decades ago, there were six multinational leaf dealers in the global market. Excessive overproduction of cigarettes led to the market’s churning up and rapid mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the intervening period. Today, there are only two big time players: Alliance One and Universal Leaf Tobacco.
In this scenario of overproduction, with the Big Two calling the shots, it is unlikely that these companies will increase their production when they enter the Indian markets through FDI.
On the contrary, says a member of TBI on condition of anonymity, “The duo with their overwhelming influence on the market would be pushing the prices down, adversely affecting the income of the farmers. They would squeeze supply from India to eliminate overproduction.” Currently, global players have access to the Indian market through their representatives and pick up 60 percent of the produce.
But Babu argues that Indian farmers will get remunerative prices comparable to farmers in Brazil and Zimbabwe (see interview). Brazilian tobacco is heavy-bodied and is ranked in the premium category, while Indian tobacco is primarily of the filler variety and, at best, can be blended with other flavoured tobacco. So there can be no comparison in the rates.
As far as profitability is concerned, the farmers are more than satisfied. “We make better money than any cash crop in India. The profitability is as high as 35 percent,” says Urs. There is a regulatory mechanism in place that stipulates the crop size. The profitability is so high that crop size far exceeds the normal allowance of 10 percent. Even the high penalty rates of 15 percent have not deferred the farmers from exceeding the permissible stipulated crop size.
Earlier, FDI was not allowed because of public health considerations. But these considerations are stronger now with wto estimates that the proportion of tobacco-related deaths in India is set to increase from 1.4 percent in 1990 to 13.3 percent in 2020.
Past experiences have shown that FDI has essentially had a positive correlation with the increase in the country’s smoking population. Taiwan, Korea, Thailand and Japan allowed FDI in the late 1980s and saw an increase in cigarette consumption of over 10 percent.
The move, says the Tobacco Institute of India (TII) in a note, could increase contraband trade and also force losses of nearly Rs 2,000 crore per annum in terms of taxes and forex outflow. Currently, contraband cigarette sales cause a loss of Rs 1,500 crore-Rs 2,000 crore per annum.
No one knows whether or not the commerce ministry will take the decision but insiders claim the countdown has begun: the farmers are waiting. So are the companies.
online available at- http://www.tehelka.com/story_main30.asp?filename=Bu020607Ominous_smoke.asp
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Admn plans to implement tobacco-free laws
Express News Service
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
NEWS - Admn plans to implement tobacco-free laws
Chandigarh, May 22: The Chandigarh administration is working with a comprehensive approach to make it a smoke-free city and the administration is committed to provide healthier environment to residents and tourists.
This was stated by UT tourism director Vivek Atray during a workshop organised by Burning Brain Society in association with Chandigarh administration for the teachers, hoteliers and other stakeholders on implementation of smoke-free laws and the rationale behind it.
Atray said the city is moving in the right path to become India’s first smoke-free city and this initiative could set a positive example for the rest of the country.
While making a presentation on second-hand smoke, Hemant Goswami, chairperson, Burning Brain Society, explained that though all people exposed to second-hand tobacco smoke stand at increased risk of heart diseases, cancers and other ailments, workers exposed to secondhand smoke on the job were 34% more likely to get lung cancer compared to their other colleagues who were not exposed.
Manmohan Singh, president, Hotel and Restaurant Association, said that hotels and restaurants would like to please every customer but they will never do so by spreading disease or endangering the lives of people by exposing them to second-hand smoke Technical education director S K Setia said that only 15 per cent of the smoke from a cigarette is inhaled by the smoker, the rest goes into the surrounding air which other people breathe in. He said the teachers have an important role in the smoke-free initiative and in educating the youngsters about the harmful and fatal consequences of tobacco.
Representing Chandigarh Police, Devinder Singh Thakur, DSP, made a presentation on the legal aspect of tobacco laws.
The workshop also saw some catchy tobacco-control awareness songs created and sung by Attar Singh.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
NEWS - Admn plans to implement tobacco-free laws
Chandigarh, May 22: The Chandigarh administration is working with a comprehensive approach to make it a smoke-free city and the administration is committed to provide healthier environment to residents and tourists.
This was stated by UT tourism director Vivek Atray during a workshop organised by Burning Brain Society in association with Chandigarh administration for the teachers, hoteliers and other stakeholders on implementation of smoke-free laws and the rationale behind it.
Atray said the city is moving in the right path to become India’s first smoke-free city and this initiative could set a positive example for the rest of the country.
While making a presentation on second-hand smoke, Hemant Goswami, chairperson, Burning Brain Society, explained that though all people exposed to second-hand tobacco smoke stand at increased risk of heart diseases, cancers and other ailments, workers exposed to secondhand smoke on the job were 34% more likely to get lung cancer compared to their other colleagues who were not exposed.
Manmohan Singh, president, Hotel and Restaurant Association, said that hotels and restaurants would like to please every customer but they will never do so by spreading disease or endangering the lives of people by exposing them to second-hand smoke Technical education director S K Setia said that only 15 per cent of the smoke from a cigarette is inhaled by the smoker, the rest goes into the surrounding air which other people breathe in. He said the teachers have an important role in the smoke-free initiative and in educating the youngsters about the harmful and fatal consequences of tobacco.
Representing Chandigarh Police, Devinder Singh Thakur, DSP, made a presentation on the legal aspect of tobacco laws.
The workshop also saw some catchy tobacco-control awareness songs created and sung by Attar Singh.
online available at - http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=237636
Tobacco Warning to be reviewed
Hindustan Times
News- Tobacco Warning to be reviewed
By- Sanchita Sharma
May 23 2007
BUCKLING UNDER pressure from bidi manufacturers, the Centre has set up a high-level Group of Ministers (GoM) to look into the "merits and demerits" of carrying the skull and crossbones warning on the packets of tobacco products. The GoM will meet on Wednesday, a week before the pictorial warnings were to appear from June 1.
The government is under immense pressure from its MPs and allies from states with large bidi industries. These include Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. Interestingly, all the members of the GoM - Pranab Mukherjee, PR. Dasmunsi, Oscar Fernandes, Kamal Nath, Jaipal Reddy and Anbumani Ramadoss - represent the affected states.
About one maion people are in- volved in the bidi industry and MPs fear it will greatly suffer if the general population quits tobacco because of the new health warnings. The warnings were to initially appear on all tobacco product packets from February 1. But the deadline was shifted to June 1 to give the industry more time to comply. The timing of the GoM meet is telling.
"The skull and crossbones symbol was approved by a Parliament sub- committee in 2003. Why did the government take so long to react," asks a health ministry official. The act, which is being implemented in phases, also bans advertising of tobacco products, sale to minors and showing of tobacco use in films and television.
"No jobs wE be lost. Health warnings and all other tobacco-control measures put together will result in a decline in tobacco use over several years and that should provide adequate time for the government to identify alternative livelihoods for those employed in the sector," says Dr K. Srinath Reddy, president, Public Health Foundation of India. Tobacco use kns 10 lakh people in India every year, according the Indian Council of Medical Research.
Other countries that have introduced similar warnings include Canada, Brazil and Australia. sanchitasharma@hindustantimes.com Smoke signal a 250 million tobacco users in India a 16 percent cigarette smokers a 44 percent smoke bidis M 40 percent have gutka, mishri (roasted black tobacco powder applied to gums) and chewing tobacco in betel-quid
News- Tobacco Warning to be reviewed
By- Sanchita Sharma
May 23 2007
BUCKLING UNDER pressure from bidi manufacturers, the Centre has set up a high-level Group of Ministers (GoM) to look into the "merits and demerits" of carrying the skull and crossbones warning on the packets of tobacco products. The GoM will meet on Wednesday, a week before the pictorial warnings were to appear from June 1.
The government is under immense pressure from its MPs and allies from states with large bidi industries. These include Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. Interestingly, all the members of the GoM - Pranab Mukherjee, PR. Dasmunsi, Oscar Fernandes, Kamal Nath, Jaipal Reddy and Anbumani Ramadoss - represent the affected states.
About one maion people are in- volved in the bidi industry and MPs fear it will greatly suffer if the general population quits tobacco because of the new health warnings. The warnings were to initially appear on all tobacco product packets from February 1. But the deadline was shifted to June 1 to give the industry more time to comply. The timing of the GoM meet is telling.
"The skull and crossbones symbol was approved by a Parliament sub- committee in 2003. Why did the government take so long to react," asks a health ministry official. The act, which is being implemented in phases, also bans advertising of tobacco products, sale to minors and showing of tobacco use in films and television.
"No jobs wE be lost. Health warnings and all other tobacco-control measures put together will result in a decline in tobacco use over several years and that should provide adequate time for the government to identify alternative livelihoods for those employed in the sector," says Dr K. Srinath Reddy, president, Public Health Foundation of India. Tobacco use kns 10 lakh people in India every year, according the Indian Council of Medical Research.
Other countries that have introduced similar warnings include Canada, Brazil and Australia. sanchitasharma@hindustantimes.com Smoke signal a 250 million tobacco users in India a 16 percent cigarette smokers a 44 percent smoke bidis M 40 percent have gutka, mishri (roasted black tobacco powder applied to gums) and chewing tobacco in betel-quid
Monday, May 21, 2007
Medical Students Need To Quit Tobacco First Tuesday
Opinion : Medical Students Need To Quit Tobacco First Tuesday
By- Bobby Ramakant
22 May 2007
A recent study gives further evidence that prevalence of tobacco use is more in medical students than in general population. This becomes all the more paradoxical when India's 25 crore tobacco users look up at existing healthcare providers for assistance in quitting tobacco. Also it questions how serious are we to prevent needless diseases and deaths attributed to tobacco use, ponders Bobby Ramakant
AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) survey among medical students of North India conclusively proves that smoking in medical students increases as their medical schooling goes ahead.
"Tobacco Kills" or "Tobacco causes Cancer" says the new health warning on every tobacco pack. With young doctors and medical students not heeding to this health warning, has the tobacco control strategy went fundamentally awry?
Results of an AIIMS survey on smoking among medical students in Delhi and other parts of the region in North India sends a shiver down the spine – 56 per cent of them smoke.
Furthermore most alarming was the fact that 35 per cent of medical students surveyed were found to be "nicotine-dependent"!
The year-long survey was done by Department of Medicine at AIIMS with students from major medical colleges of North India answering questionnaires based on their smoking habits.
"This survey used the Fagerstrom test for nicotine dependence", said Dr Randeep Guleria, Professor of Medicine at AIIMS. This test was developed by Dr Karl Fagerstrom, a globally acclaimed authority in tobacco cessation.
"Dependence on smoking was assessed by the quantitative method with questions like number of cigarettes smoked every day and the time of lighting up the first cigarette after waking up," said Dr Guleria. He further added that "The motivation to stop smoking was assessed qualitatively by direct questions about intentions to quit."
37.5 per cent medical students took to cigarettes after seeing others smoke, a further 32.5 per cent smoked since they felt it was a stress-buster; 8.75 per cent started due to "peer pressure". 11 per cent were found to be "heavy smokers", and 45 per cent had a "family history of smoking".
It is clear that the need to have a strong tobacco control and health education programme within healthcare settings is most compelling. Unless we have a health education programme in place, how else do we plan to reduce the number of medical students who may take up tobacco use during medical schooling?
If public health campaigns cannot bring in a change in medical students who 'believe' that tobacco is a stress-buster and smoke because of peer pressure or lifestyle imagery, then how effective will they be in general community?
However an overwhelming majority had tried to quit tobacco use. 65 per cent had made attempts to quit, while 62 per cent were willing to quit if assisted. Are we prepared and geared up enough to provide this 'assistance' ?
That brings us to the glaring gap in tobacco cessation services within healthcare settings. Unless tobacco cessation skills are imparted to mainstream healthcare providers utilizing and building upon existing infrastructure and health systems, how are we going to provide quality assistance to 62 per cent of medical students who want to quit tobacco use?
Professor (Dr) Rama Kant, Head of the Tobacco Cessation Clinics at King George's Medical University (KGMU), says that "Doctors who use tobacco, endanger their own health, and send a misleading message to patients and to the public. The best way forward is to invest in building training capacities of existing tobacco cessation clinics so that these can impart not only cessation services, but also impart tobacco cessation skills in healthcare staff from different settings. It is also vital to integrate tobacco cessation counseling in routine medical practice."
The AIIMS survey indicates that the mean age of starting smoking was 18.65 years.
With deceptive tobacco advertising and misconceptions associated with tobacco use, the addiction takes roots before the age of 18, says Prof Kant. By the time tobacco-related hazards begin to manifest, the person, including medical students, is already addicted to nicotine dose. Nicotine is as addictive as heroin and cocaine, stated a US Surgeon General Report in 1988. It is not easy to quit tobacco, but it is also not impossible, asserts Prof Kant.
So far India has about 20 tobacco cessation clinics supported by World Health Organization across the country.
According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) tobacco use is responsible for over 10 lakh deaths in India each year, which is about 3000 deaths every day.
The urgency to reduce or decimate preventable burden of life-threatening diseases attributed to tobacco is compelling.
Prof Kant points to a possible way forward – 'a combination of health education programme with tobacco control in focus to alarm new medical students and encourage them not to use tobacco should be incorporated while we scale up tobacco cessation services across the country'.
By- Bobby Ramakant
22 May 2007
A recent study gives further evidence that prevalence of tobacco use is more in medical students than in general population. This becomes all the more paradoxical when India's 25 crore tobacco users look up at existing healthcare providers for assistance in quitting tobacco. Also it questions how serious are we to prevent needless diseases and deaths attributed to tobacco use, ponders Bobby Ramakant
AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) survey among medical students of North India conclusively proves that smoking in medical students increases as their medical schooling goes ahead.
"Tobacco Kills" or "Tobacco causes Cancer" says the new health warning on every tobacco pack. With young doctors and medical students not heeding to this health warning, has the tobacco control strategy went fundamentally awry?
Results of an AIIMS survey on smoking among medical students in Delhi and other parts of the region in North India sends a shiver down the spine – 56 per cent of them smoke.
Furthermore most alarming was the fact that 35 per cent of medical students surveyed were found to be "nicotine-dependent"!
The year-long survey was done by Department of Medicine at AIIMS with students from major medical colleges of North India answering questionnaires based on their smoking habits.
"This survey used the Fagerstrom test for nicotine dependence", said Dr Randeep Guleria, Professor of Medicine at AIIMS. This test was developed by Dr Karl Fagerstrom, a globally acclaimed authority in tobacco cessation.
"Dependence on smoking was assessed by the quantitative method with questions like number of cigarettes smoked every day and the time of lighting up the first cigarette after waking up," said Dr Guleria. He further added that "The motivation to stop smoking was assessed qualitatively by direct questions about intentions to quit."
37.5 per cent medical students took to cigarettes after seeing others smoke, a further 32.5 per cent smoked since they felt it was a stress-buster; 8.75 per cent started due to "peer pressure". 11 per cent were found to be "heavy smokers", and 45 per cent had a "family history of smoking".
It is clear that the need to have a strong tobacco control and health education programme within healthcare settings is most compelling. Unless we have a health education programme in place, how else do we plan to reduce the number of medical students who may take up tobacco use during medical schooling?
If public health campaigns cannot bring in a change in medical students who 'believe' that tobacco is a stress-buster and smoke because of peer pressure or lifestyle imagery, then how effective will they be in general community?
However an overwhelming majority had tried to quit tobacco use. 65 per cent had made attempts to quit, while 62 per cent were willing to quit if assisted. Are we prepared and geared up enough to provide this 'assistance' ?
That brings us to the glaring gap in tobacco cessation services within healthcare settings. Unless tobacco cessation skills are imparted to mainstream healthcare providers utilizing and building upon existing infrastructure and health systems, how are we going to provide quality assistance to 62 per cent of medical students who want to quit tobacco use?
Professor (Dr) Rama Kant, Head of the Tobacco Cessation Clinics at King George's Medical University (KGMU), says that "Doctors who use tobacco, endanger their own health, and send a misleading message to patients and to the public. The best way forward is to invest in building training capacities of existing tobacco cessation clinics so that these can impart not only cessation services, but also impart tobacco cessation skills in healthcare staff from different settings. It is also vital to integrate tobacco cessation counseling in routine medical practice."
The AIIMS survey indicates that the mean age of starting smoking was 18.65 years.
With deceptive tobacco advertising and misconceptions associated with tobacco use, the addiction takes roots before the age of 18, says Prof Kant. By the time tobacco-related hazards begin to manifest, the person, including medical students, is already addicted to nicotine dose. Nicotine is as addictive as heroin and cocaine, stated a US Surgeon General Report in 1988. It is not easy to quit tobacco, but it is also not impossible, asserts Prof Kant.
So far India has about 20 tobacco cessation clinics supported by World Health Organization across the country.
According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) tobacco use is responsible for over 10 lakh deaths in India each year, which is about 3000 deaths every day.
The urgency to reduce or decimate preventable burden of life-threatening diseases attributed to tobacco is compelling.
Prof Kant points to a possible way forward – 'a combination of health education programme with tobacco control in focus to alarm new medical students and encourage them not to use tobacco should be incorporated while we scale up tobacco cessation services across the country'.
Wake up call for secular India
State Pulse: Andhra Pradesh: Wake up call for secular India
The people of secular sovereign India have stood strong and more resolved to peace and amity, even at the wake of repeated attacks on religious places. These have only exposed the nefarious designs of a handful of those behind these terror attacks. Undoubtedly these repeated acts of terror have put us through one of the gravest tests of courage, patience, committment to peace and humane social order.
Another attempt to thwart the communal harmony in India was made on Friday when a crude RDX bomb exploded near the historic Mecca Mosque in Hyderabad. Apart from that, there were two live bombs recovered from the spot and defused.
There have been repeated attempts to instigate different religious communities in the past.
Two explosions that took place in quick succession inside the historic Jama Masjid in Old Delhi when the devout were offering prayers on a Friday evening of April 2006. The first explosion took place at around 5.30 pm when devotees were preparing for 'Asar' (evening prayer) near a pond used by them for ablutions.
Syed Ahmed Bukhari, the Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid, had then made an appeal to the people of India to "maintain communal harmony and to defeat the designs of those who want to disrupt the peaceful co-existence between Hindus and Muslims".
On the eve of 2005 Diwali, bomb blasts went off in Sarojini Nagar market, Paharganj and a bus in Kalkaji area of Delhi, killing more than 50 people.
Ajay Sahani, Terrorism Expert of Institute of Conflict Management, had then said, `"It is clear that objective was to incite violence within the country. But the good thing about today's event and the event in Varanasi [blast at the temple and railway station] was that people were not reacting in frenzy and people behind the blasts were not succeeding."
Similar sentiments reinforcing secular feelings were expressed. Even media restrained and demonstrated sensitive and responsible journalism, in the wake of ugly events of terror and strife.
An overwhelming majority of people in India have realized the vested interests of handful of those who mastermind these terror attacks on religious institutions and thankfully have refused to be instigated by them.
By not spewing venom and hatred, we have made the efforts unsuccessful of those who pull the terror-trigger.
Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta reviewed the national security situation in the wake of the bomb explosion at the Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad during Friday prayers.
Steps were taken to ensure that the communal violence, which erupted in some parts of Andhra Pradesh, does not spill over to other parts of the country.
The Indian Home Ministry has alerted all the state governments to be vigilant about the anti-social elements seeking to use the Mecca Masjid incident to whip up communal passion and create disturbances to upset peace and harmony.
Noted social activist and Magsaysay Awardee Dr Sandeep Pandey said that "Despite of piercing ache in our hearts, we feel all the more committed to make the voices of the majority heard - majority of us Hindus and Muslims don't want violence and hatred between people, there is a small minority of people indulging in acts of violence and terror, and they don't represent us."
Few people have been resorting to such brutal ways to invoke undue hatred and anguish, and undoubtedly cause an irrevocable loss of human life.
We also believe that our response in this grim and sad hour of grief should not be of hatred and revenge - rather our commitments to peace and non-violence should be as determined as possible. The perpetrators of violence want to invoke hatred, we must be resolute to not yield to their demands. This is the time to test our steely resolve - to peace, love and harmonious co-existence.
I consider it as a wake up call for the secular India, and we have been ignoring the blaring sirens for long. The struggle to establish a just social and humane order, impacting the lives of most underserved communities, is indeed a long one. It is the time for all of us to dawn our often-neglected roles of being a responsible citizen of secular India as well.
By not spewing venom and hatred, we have made the efforts unsuccessful of those who pull the terror-trigger- Bobby Ramakant
The people of secular sovereign India have stood strong and more resolved to peace and amity, even at the wake of repeated attacks on religious places. These have only exposed the nefarious designs of a handful of those behind these terror attacks. Undoubtedly these repeated acts of terror have put us through one of the gravest tests of courage, patience, committment to peace and humane social order.
Another attempt to thwart the communal harmony in India was made on Friday when a crude RDX bomb exploded near the historic Mecca Mosque in Hyderabad. Apart from that, there were two live bombs recovered from the spot and defused.
There have been repeated attempts to instigate different religious communities in the past.
Two explosions that took place in quick succession inside the historic Jama Masjid in Old Delhi when the devout were offering prayers on a Friday evening of April 2006. The first explosion took place at around 5.30 pm when devotees were preparing for 'Asar' (evening prayer) near a pond used by them for ablutions.
Syed Ahmed Bukhari, the Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid, had then made an appeal to the people of India to "maintain communal harmony and to defeat the designs of those who want to disrupt the peaceful co-existence between Hindus and Muslims".
On the eve of 2005 Diwali, bomb blasts went off in Sarojini Nagar market, Paharganj and a bus in Kalkaji area of Delhi, killing more than 50 people.
Ajay Sahani, Terrorism Expert of Institute of Conflict Management, had then said, `"It is clear that objective was to incite violence within the country. But the good thing about today's event and the event in Varanasi [blast at the temple and railway station] was that people were not reacting in frenzy and people behind the blasts were not succeeding."
Similar sentiments reinforcing secular feelings were expressed. Even media restrained and demonstrated sensitive and responsible journalism, in the wake of ugly events of terror and strife.
An overwhelming majority of people in India have realized the vested interests of handful of those who mastermind these terror attacks on religious institutions and thankfully have refused to be instigated by them.
By not spewing venom and hatred, we have made the efforts unsuccessful of those who pull the terror-trigger.
Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta reviewed the national security situation in the wake of the bomb explosion at the Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad during Friday prayers.
Steps were taken to ensure that the communal violence, which erupted in some parts of Andhra Pradesh, does not spill over to other parts of the country.
The Indian Home Ministry has alerted all the state governments to be vigilant about the anti-social elements seeking to use the Mecca Masjid incident to whip up communal passion and create disturbances to upset peace and harmony.
Noted social activist and Magsaysay Awardee Dr Sandeep Pandey said that "Despite of piercing ache in our hearts, we feel all the more committed to make the voices of the majority heard - majority of us Hindus and Muslims don't want violence and hatred between people, there is a small minority of people indulging in acts of violence and terror, and they don't represent us."
Few people have been resorting to such brutal ways to invoke undue hatred and anguish, and undoubtedly cause an irrevocable loss of human life.
We also believe that our response in this grim and sad hour of grief should not be of hatred and revenge - rather our commitments to peace and non-violence should be as determined as possible. The perpetrators of violence want to invoke hatred, we must be resolute to not yield to their demands. This is the time to test our steely resolve - to peace, love and harmonious co-existence.
I consider it as a wake up call for the secular India, and we have been ignoring the blaring sirens for long. The struggle to establish a just social and humane order, impacting the lives of most underserved communities, is indeed a long one. It is the time for all of us to dawn our often-neglected roles of being a responsible citizen of secular India as well.
online available at- Central Chronicle (MP, India): 21 May 2007
http://www.centralchronicle.com/20070521/2105303.htm
The Daily Star, Bangladesh: 21 May 2007
http://www.thedailystar.net/2007/05/21/d705211504140.htm
Asian Tribune (Sri Lanka/ Thailand) 19 May 2007
http://www.asiantribune.com/index.php?q=node/5788
http://www.centralchronicle.com/20070521/2105303.htm
The Daily Star, Bangladesh: 21 May 2007
http://www.thedailystar.net/2007/05/21/d705211504140.htm
Asian Tribune (Sri Lanka/ Thailand) 19 May 2007
http://www.asiantribune.com/index.php?q=node/5788
Friday, May 18, 2007
e-Choupal: Networking rural India
NDTV
May 18 2007
News- e-Choupal: Networking rural India
online available - http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/web2.0story.asp?id=ARTEN20070012289
May 18 2007
News- e-Choupal: Networking rural India
Agriculture is vital to India. It produces 23 per cent of the GDP, feeds a billion people, and employs 66 per cent of the workforce. Because of the Green Revolution, India's agricultural productivity has improved to the point that it is both self-sufficient and a net exporter of a variety of food grains. Yet most Indian farmers have remained quite poor. The causes include remnants of scarcity-era regulation and an agricultural system based on small, inefficient landholdings.
The agricultural system has also traditionally been unfair to primary producers. Farmers have only an approximate idea of price trends and have to accept the price offered to them at auctions on the day that they bring their grain to the mandi. As a result, traders are well positioned to exploit both farmers and buyers through practices that sustain system-wide inefficiencies.One of India's foremost private sector companies, which has a diversified presence in tobacco, hotels, paperboards, specialty papers, packaging, agri-business, branded apparel, packaged foods and other fast moving consumer goods, initiated e-choupal in 2000.
The effort placed computers with Internet access in rural farming villages. The e-choupals serve as both a social gathering place for exchange of information (choupal means gathering place in Hindi) and an e-commerce hub. Industry background Spurred by India's need to generate foreign exchange, ITC's International Business Division (IBD) was created in 1990 as an agri-trading company aiming to "offer the world the best of India's produce".Initially, the agricultural commodity trading business was small compared to international players.
By 1996, the opening up of the Indian market had brought in international competition. Large international companies had better margin-to-risk ratios because of wider options for risk management and arbitrage.For an Indian company to replicate the operating model of such multinational corporations would have required a massive horizontal and vertical expansion. In 1998, after competition forced ITC to explore the options of sale, merger, and closure of IBD, ITC ultimately decided to retain the business.
Chairman of ITC challenged IBD to use information technology to change the rules of the game and create a competitive business that did not need a large asset base. Today, IBD is over Rs 700 crore company that trades in commodities such as feed ingredients, food-grains, coffee, black pepper, edible nuts, marine products, and processed fruits.What began as an effort to re-engineer the procurement process for soy, tobacco, wheat, shrimp, and other cropping systems in rural India has also created a highly profitable distribution and product design channel for the Company.E-choupal has also established a low-cost fulfillment system focused on the needs of rural India that has helped in mitigating rural isolation, create more transparency for farmers, and improve their productivity and incomes.The business modelThe model is centered on a network of e-Choupals that serve both as a social gathering place for exchange of information and an e-commerce hub.A local farmer acting as a sanchalak (coordinator) runs the village e-Choupal, and the computer usually is located in the sanchalak's home. ITC also incorporated a local commission agent, known as the samyojak (collaborator), into the system as the provider of logistical support.
ITC has plans to saturate the sector in which it works with e-Choupals, such that a farmer has to travel no more than five kilometers to reach one. The company expects each e-Choupal to serve about 10 villages within a five-kilometer radius. Today its network reaches more than a million farmers. In the Mandi, the following operational process was followed: Inbound logistics > Display and Inspection > Auction > Bagging and weighing > Payment > Outbound logistics.E-choupal brought about a strategic chage to the process: Pricing > Inbound logistics > Inspection and grading > Weighing and payment > Hub logistics.Goals envisionedTwo goals were envisioned for information technology in the e-Choupal process.
The first was the deelivery of real-time information independent of the transaction. In the mandi system, delivery, pricing, and sales happen simultaneously, thus binding the farmer to an agent.E-Choupal was seen as a medium of delivering critical market information independent of the mandi, thus allowing the farmer an empowered choice of where and when to sell his crop.The second was to facilitate collaboration between the many parties required to fulfill the spectrum of farmer needs.
As a communication mechanism, this goal is related to the commitment to address the whole system, not just a part of the system. It is noteworthy that ITC did not hesitate to install expensive IT infrastructure in places where most people would be wary of visiting overnight. It is a manifestation of the integrity of rural value systems that not a single case of theft, misappropriation, or misuse has been reported among the thousands of e-Choupals.Sustainability through mutual respect
The e-Choupal model has shown that a large corporation can combine a social mission and an ambitious commercial venture; that it can play a major role in rationalising markets and increasing the efficiency of an agricultural system, and do so in ways that benefit farmers and rural communities as well as company shareholders.
ITC's example also shows the key role of information technology - in this case provided and maintained by a corporation, but used by local farmers - in helping to bring about transparency, to increase access to information, and to catalyse rural transformation, while enabling efficiencies and low cost distribution that make the system profitable and sustainable. Critical factors in the apparent success of the venture are ITC's extensive knowledge of agriculture, the effort ITC has made to retain many aspects of the existing production system, including retaining the integral importance of local partners, the company's commitment to transparency, and the respect and fairness with which both farmers and local partners are treated.The sustainability of the engagement comes from the idea that neither the corporate nor social agendas will be subordinated in favor of the other.
online available - http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/web2.0story.asp?id=ARTEN20070012289
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
News- Trade unions opposes entry of FDI in tobacco sector
May 16 2004
New Delhi
News- Trade unions opposes entry of FDI in tobacco sector
Trade unions on Tuesday opposed the entry of FDI in the country's tobacco sector, considered the largest in the world, and asked the Government not to experiment in such "socially sensitive" areas.
In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, five major trade unions said it was of "immense worry" to learn that the Union Commerce Minister has been talking of allowing FDI in the tobacco sector and free entry to cigarette MNCs.
In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, five major trade unions said it was of "immense worry" to learn that the Union Commerce Minister has been talking of allowing FDI in the tobacco sector and free entry to cigarette MNCs.
"The entry of foreign cigarette companies and MNCs will directly impact bidis and local producers of cigarettes. The MNCs will introduce cheap cigarettes and eventually take away bidi users through high-powered adversiting and sales," they said.
The trade unions--CITU, AITUC, HMS, TUCC and UTUC-- also rubbished the argument that the entry of foreign investors will increase exports of tobacco products and offer better value for tobacco growers.
"The Labour Ministry had done studies on the issue of entry of MNCs into tobacco sector and came to the conclusion that this will have a devastating effect of employment amongst workers, farmers and labourers in India," they said.
"Tobacco is a sensitive sector. It employs millions of poor people. Any negative impact will destroy their lives and government has no social security net to help workers and farmers," they added.
Observing that the spate of suicides by farmers and bidi workers should caution the government against experimenting in such socially sensitive sectors, they asked the PM to ensure that the Commerce Ministry does not create "imbalances" in the sector where millions of people have precarious employment.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Most doctors in training smoke to beat stress,
Most doctors in training smoke to beat stress, 35% dependent
Keep-The-Promise Campaign
*********************************
[Healthcare staff needs tobacco cessation services first. Unless we ensure smoke-free workplaces in healthcare settings, and build capacities of healthcare service providers to render tobacco cessation services to people, how are we going to ever enforce anti-tobacco laws effectively and save needless burden of diseases, deaths attributed to tobacco use?]
……………………………………
AIIMS Survey: Most doctors in training smoke to beat stress; 35% dependent
Indian Express
Monday 14 May 2007
Survey among medical students of region says undergrad smokers increase as semesters go by.
Cigarette Smoking is Injurious to Health", says the warning on every packet. But let alone the public, not even the would-be doctors heed to the advisory. An AIIMS survey on smoking among medical students in the Capital and other parts of the region has found that 56 per cent of them stick to the butt.
According to the survey, 35 per cent of medical students surveyed were found to be "nicotine-dependent".
The year-long survey was done by AIIMS' medicine department, with students from major medical colleges like AIIMS, Maulana Azad Medical College, University College of Medical Sciences and other colleges of North India answering questionnaires based on smoking habits.
How the survey was done
* Dr Randeep Guleria, professor of medicine at AIIMS, said the survey used the "Fagerstrom test for nicotine dependence", developed by Dr Karl Fagerstrom, one of the world's leading authorities on the effects of smoking.
"Dependence on smoking was assessed by the quantitative method with questions like number of cigarettes smoked every day and the time of lighting up the first cigarette after waking up," Guleria said.
"The motivation to stop smoking was assessed qualitatively by direct questions about intentions to quit."
What the survey found
* Of the total 182 medical students who filled the questionnaire, 102 (56%) were found to be smokers, while the other 80 said they did not smoke.
* Percentage of undergraduate smokers increased as the semesters went by.
* The average age of smokers was found to be 23 years, and the mean age of starting smoking was 18.65 years.
* 37.5 per cent students took to cigarettes after seeing others smoke, a further 32.5 per cent smoked since they felt it was a stress-buster; 8.75 per cent started due to "peer pressure".
* 11 per cent were found to be "heavy smokers", and 45 per cent had a "family history of smoking".
* 35 per cent showed "nicotine-dependence".
* 65 per cent had made attempts to quit, while 62 per cent were willing to quit if assisted.
Who says what
* An AIIMS undergraduate: "We are future doctors but we also have mood swings - sometimes stress-related (studies), and at time personal issues. Smoking at these times is found to be the best way to get relief."
* Dr Randeep Guleria, professor of medicine, AIIMS: "The use of tobacco by doctors reflects their attitudes to tobacco. Besides endangering their own health, doctors who smoke send a misleading message to patients and to the public."
The endgame
The study also found that most of the students surveyed are willing to quit smoking. So the doctors have recommended hospital authorities to set up "quit-smoking clinics" with psychotherapy facilities.
Online at: http://in.news.yahoo.com/070513/48/6fq5e.html
Keep-The-Promise Campaign
*********************************
[Healthcare staff needs tobacco cessation services first. Unless we ensure smoke-free workplaces in healthcare settings, and build capacities of healthcare service providers to render tobacco cessation services to people, how are we going to ever enforce anti-tobacco laws effectively and save needless burden of diseases, deaths attributed to tobacco use?]
……………………………………
AIIMS Survey: Most doctors in training smoke to beat stress; 35% dependent
Indian Express
Monday 14 May 2007
Survey among medical students of region says undergrad smokers increase as semesters go by.
Cigarette Smoking is Injurious to Health", says the warning on every packet. But let alone the public, not even the would-be doctors heed to the advisory. An AIIMS survey on smoking among medical students in the Capital and other parts of the region has found that 56 per cent of them stick to the butt.
According to the survey, 35 per cent of medical students surveyed were found to be "nicotine-dependent".
The year-long survey was done by AIIMS' medicine department, with students from major medical colleges like AIIMS, Maulana Azad Medical College, University College of Medical Sciences and other colleges of North India answering questionnaires based on smoking habits.
How the survey was done
* Dr Randeep Guleria, professor of medicine at AIIMS, said the survey used the "Fagerstrom test for nicotine dependence", developed by Dr Karl Fagerstrom, one of the world's leading authorities on the effects of smoking.
"Dependence on smoking was assessed by the quantitative method with questions like number of cigarettes smoked every day and the time of lighting up the first cigarette after waking up," Guleria said.
"The motivation to stop smoking was assessed qualitatively by direct questions about intentions to quit."
What the survey found
* Of the total 182 medical students who filled the questionnaire, 102 (56%) were found to be smokers, while the other 80 said they did not smoke.
* Percentage of undergraduate smokers increased as the semesters went by.
* The average age of smokers was found to be 23 years, and the mean age of starting smoking was 18.65 years.
* 37.5 per cent students took to cigarettes after seeing others smoke, a further 32.5 per cent smoked since they felt it was a stress-buster; 8.75 per cent started due to "peer pressure".
* 11 per cent were found to be "heavy smokers", and 45 per cent had a "family history of smoking".
* 35 per cent showed "nicotine-dependence".
* 65 per cent had made attempts to quit, while 62 per cent were willing to quit if assisted.
Who says what
* An AIIMS undergraduate: "We are future doctors but we also have mood swings - sometimes stress-related (studies), and at time personal issues. Smoking at these times is found to be the best way to get relief."
* Dr Randeep Guleria, professor of medicine, AIIMS: "The use of tobacco by doctors reflects their attitudes to tobacco. Besides endangering their own health, doctors who smoke send a misleading message to patients and to the public."
The endgame
The study also found that most of the students surveyed are willing to quit smoking. So the doctors have recommended hospital authorities to set up "quit-smoking clinics" with psychotherapy facilities.
Online at: http://in.news.yahoo.com/070513/48/6fq5e.html
Let's find those alternatives
The Fiji Times
News- Let's find those alternatives
May 15 2007
Therefore, economic recovery in the agriculture sector must be the topmost priority for any government, interim or elected.
Presently, the interim Government is reorganising the sugar industry to reduce the cost of production and introducing new varieties of cane with high sugar content.
But this is not enough: We need to explore other options and diversify into commercial farming for revenue generation and income generation in order to avoid urban exodus with its associated social fallout and erosive impacts on urban infrastructure.
Commercial agriculture for tourist and niche markets.
There is an urgent need to seriously explore the viability of commercial farming for the tourist industry in order to reduce the import bill and to provide alternative income in farming communities.
The time is right for generating organic farms for niche markets for our hotels as well as for export, given the recent upsurge of demand for chemical-free foods in first world countries.
Government needs to conduct research immediately to determine the demands and needs of the tourist industry in terms of fruit and vegetables.
This must include research and planning for transportation.
Further, this will entail the creation of small and medium industry (SMEs) in/near the farming areas to process and freeze the produce for the local tourist markets as well as for export.
Government will need to identify areas that are suitable for large scale farming, and organise a system for co-operatives in order to enable production in sufficient quantities.
Farms of about 1000 acres each, perhaps in three or four areas (say, in the North, West and Central divisions) would be ideal pilot projects.
For commercial farming to be viable the first priority is the security of land tenure.
The interim or any future government will need to work out a long-term lease facility that will offer security and encourage sugar cane and/or commercial agriculture farming for the tourist industry and exports.
In the recent past, India has been a success story of commercial farming via the Indian Tobacco Company (ITC) and multi-nationals like Pepsi.
The ITC, as the investor, undertakes the required logistics for the commercial farming venture: It identifies the produce suitable for regions and supplies all seeds, fertilisers, insecticides etc.
ITC's success in this venture is based on a scientific approach it has access to specific weather data through the Indian weather satellite to help determine the timing of planting, spraying, harvest, etc.
Many processed vegetables from India are now available in Europe, the United States of America, Australia and New Zealand thanks to ITC.
Similarly, Pepsi (the multinational giant) has joined in and is getting farmers in Punjab to plant potatoes for its local and overseas markets.
There is no reason why Fiji cannot gain a good share of such a market. Now, how do we attract these companies to Fiji?
Government will need to organise a very attractive investment package similar to that of the hotel industry and this should be valid for at least 10 years.
It is suggested this industry be given an 80 per cent return on investment through tax rebates annually.
This incentive will undoubtedly attract overseas investors as well as encourage local businesses to explore opportunities for commercial vegetable farming.
The local tobacco company might wish to emulate ITC, in view of the decline in the demand for tobacco, and utilise its set up and resources for alternative products.
Under Indian Government aid, two agricultural scientists with experience in commercial vegetable farming and the food preservation industry were posted in Fiji.
Fiji could request such aid and use their expertise for commercial farming.
I have been reliably informed that an Indian weather satellite passes over Fiji every three weeks.
Perhaps the Government should explore avenues to access this satellite for weather information for the suggested commercial vegetable projects.
India has openly stated it is willing to help Fiji.
We could absorb our Fiji College of Agriculture graduates into commercial vegetable farming through offering micro economic grants for such SMEs.
Fiji is eligible to access economic aid for such projects from the EU Economic Partnership Agreement under the key areas of EPA Development Needs and Adjustments Costs for Pacific ACP States'.
Funding can be sourced under private sector agro-processing and commercial organic agriculture for niche markets.
Tourism
It is common knowledge that tourism has overtaken sugar as the main income generator in a number of counties such as Mauritius.
Therefore, we need to explore avenues to diversify our tourism industry.
Medical tourism was the brain child of Finance Minister Mahendra Chaudhry in 2000 and was later followed up by Prime Minister Qarase, but nothing concrete has been achieved.
This latest trend in medicine is a lucrative venture and one that Fiji must not fail to take advantage of at any cost.
We need to identify accessible locations for this type of tourism, ensure that there is good infrastructure, hotel room facilities and resort-type facilities for carers of patients.
Government will need to devise an attractive economic package for such investment, and perhaps the Finance Minister would like to pursue this option once again.
Eco-tourism took off with a big bang at one stage but then the momentum was lost.
Eco-tourism attracts a special type of tourist and their numbers are growing every day.
An important aspect of this type of tourism is the requisite provision of infrastructure government will need to ensure that infrastructure to such areas is adequate otherwise such sites will become white elephants.
Abaca, for example has not been able to realise its full potential as a tourist destination because of a lack of infrastructure.
In this endeavour, too, the Government can access the EU-EPA aid for tourism development.
Fiji's marine resources in the Yasawas, Toberua, are potential revenue earners in eco-tourism.
The Abaca and marine reserve sanctuaries should be developed as joint ventures with the resources owners to whom low interest rate funding from FDB can be made available.
Eco-tourism development will blend well with the initiative in organic farming.
Fuel alternatives
Fiji's demand for fuel is very high and the cost is killing foreign exchange reserves.
The Government needs to stop paying lip service to the concept of alternative fuel sources.
It needs to conduct a study to determine:
The possibility of ethanol production; the cost of converting motor vehicles to use ethanol, and to compare the costs and long term benefits of ethanol use for the economy.
This should now form an integral part of the restructure of the sugar industry, together with co-generation of electricity from bagasse. Such an inclusive vision will give the sugar industry renewed life and enhanced economic value.
It will be worthwhile to study proposals for alternative energy generation projects (some that have been submitted to FEA) and have independent assessment of their applicability and benefits.
Information technology
The IT industry is huge in India. Many Australian and New Zealand companies are outsourcing from big Indian IT companies.
However, there are small and medium-sized companies that would be interested in coming to Fiji.
Fiji has resources such as high literacy, English speaking workforce, good infrastructure and telecommunications facilities, and ease of access to Australia and New Zealand.
If we are able to provide attractive tax packages to these SMEs, they will be lured to Fiji and we will benefit in terms of market and employment.
Suggestions/action required
In order for Fiji to achieve any economic growth, it is imperative that we are able to offer security of land tenure as well as security to life and produce.
Some areas that need attention are: NLTB can play a vital role in facilitating economic advancement for land owners, especially in view of recent criticism of its performance;
NLTB should emerge beyond the race factor and educate landowners/mataqali on options for land utilisation.
Once productive sugar cane lands now lying unused does not benefit the indigenous community or the nation.
It is more visionary to examine avenues for tie-ups and profit sharing for the benefit of investors as well as landowners in commercial vegetable farming; the personal involvement of landowners will guarantee the security necessary for investment and profit.
It will provide an alternative o the unfortunate recent trend of marijuana growing for subsistence;
NLTB must put an immediate stop to the leasing of reserved sugar cane farmlands for residential squatter settlement. These give short-term benefit to landowners, but commercial farming is a more sound alternative for both landowners and farmers;
NLTB must classify agriculturally viable land for long-term lease and develop conditions for renewals linked to the economy of Fiji.
In the future, there will be more indigenous Fijian farmers than Fiji-Indians.
This should be the determining factor for all procedures that are drawn up; the race factor should not be used to determine lease terms and/or renewal of leases.
Diversification of existing tourism resources England has laid the red carpet for tourists from India, and Australia and New Zealand are following suit.
Fiji needs to draw these tourist to our shores.
It would be worthwhile to do a package of concessions for hosting film festivals and Bollywood Awards in Fiji.
With its reputation as an exotic location, its beauty and good infrastructure, Fiji can explore these opportunities and benefit from the publicity. bnefits to economy Commercial vegetables farming will mean utilisation of land lying vacant, import substitution leading to savings in foreign exchange, and foreign exchange earnings form export of vegetables and fruit; generating employment and creating farms into small commercial ventures for our people and resource owners; diversification of the economy through organic farming and medical tourism will open up more land areas and earning opportunities for indigenous resource owners. Creation of new industries like food processing and freezing, ethanol production; saving foreign exchange and reducing fossil fuel consumption; expanding IT industry for employment generation and foreign exchange.
The views expressed are the writer's and not those of the Fiji Chamber of Commerce, of which he is acting president, or of the Consumer Council of Fiji, of which he is chairman.
News- Let's find those alternatives
May 15 2007
Fiji will soon lose the preferential sugar price that it has enjoyed with the EU since 1974.
Sugar revenue, already in decline, will be further reduced causing loss of livelihood, displacement of large numbers in the farming community, and exacerbating socio-economic problems associated with such phenomena.
Sugar revenue, already in decline, will be further reduced causing loss of livelihood, displacement of large numbers in the farming community, and exacerbating socio-economic problems associated with such phenomena.
Therefore, economic recovery in the agriculture sector must be the topmost priority for any government, interim or elected.
Presently, the interim Government is reorganising the sugar industry to reduce the cost of production and introducing new varieties of cane with high sugar content.
But this is not enough: We need to explore other options and diversify into commercial farming for revenue generation and income generation in order to avoid urban exodus with its associated social fallout and erosive impacts on urban infrastructure.
Commercial agriculture for tourist and niche markets.
There is an urgent need to seriously explore the viability of commercial farming for the tourist industry in order to reduce the import bill and to provide alternative income in farming communities.
The time is right for generating organic farms for niche markets for our hotels as well as for export, given the recent upsurge of demand for chemical-free foods in first world countries.
Government needs to conduct research immediately to determine the demands and needs of the tourist industry in terms of fruit and vegetables.
This must include research and planning for transportation.
Further, this will entail the creation of small and medium industry (SMEs) in/near the farming areas to process and freeze the produce for the local tourist markets as well as for export.
Government will need to identify areas that are suitable for large scale farming, and organise a system for co-operatives in order to enable production in sufficient quantities.
Farms of about 1000 acres each, perhaps in three or four areas (say, in the North, West and Central divisions) would be ideal pilot projects.
For commercial farming to be viable the first priority is the security of land tenure.
The interim or any future government will need to work out a long-term lease facility that will offer security and encourage sugar cane and/or commercial agriculture farming for the tourist industry and exports.
In the recent past, India has been a success story of commercial farming via the Indian Tobacco Company (ITC) and multi-nationals like Pepsi.
The ITC, as the investor, undertakes the required logistics for the commercial farming venture: It identifies the produce suitable for regions and supplies all seeds, fertilisers, insecticides etc.
ITC's success in this venture is based on a scientific approach it has access to specific weather data through the Indian weather satellite to help determine the timing of planting, spraying, harvest, etc.
Many processed vegetables from India are now available in Europe, the United States of America, Australia and New Zealand thanks to ITC.
Similarly, Pepsi (the multinational giant) has joined in and is getting farmers in Punjab to plant potatoes for its local and overseas markets.
There is no reason why Fiji cannot gain a good share of such a market. Now, how do we attract these companies to Fiji?
Government will need to organise a very attractive investment package similar to that of the hotel industry and this should be valid for at least 10 years.
It is suggested this industry be given an 80 per cent return on investment through tax rebates annually.
This incentive will undoubtedly attract overseas investors as well as encourage local businesses to explore opportunities for commercial vegetable farming.
The local tobacco company might wish to emulate ITC, in view of the decline in the demand for tobacco, and utilise its set up and resources for alternative products.
Under Indian Government aid, two agricultural scientists with experience in commercial vegetable farming and the food preservation industry were posted in Fiji.
Fiji could request such aid and use their expertise for commercial farming.
I have been reliably informed that an Indian weather satellite passes over Fiji every three weeks.
Perhaps the Government should explore avenues to access this satellite for weather information for the suggested commercial vegetable projects.
India has openly stated it is willing to help Fiji.
We could absorb our Fiji College of Agriculture graduates into commercial vegetable farming through offering micro economic grants for such SMEs.
Fiji is eligible to access economic aid for such projects from the EU Economic Partnership Agreement under the key areas of EPA Development Needs and Adjustments Costs for Pacific ACP States'.
Funding can be sourced under private sector agro-processing and commercial organic agriculture for niche markets.
Tourism
It is common knowledge that tourism has overtaken sugar as the main income generator in a number of counties such as Mauritius.
Therefore, we need to explore avenues to diversify our tourism industry.
Medical tourism was the brain child of Finance Minister Mahendra Chaudhry in 2000 and was later followed up by Prime Minister Qarase, but nothing concrete has been achieved.
This latest trend in medicine is a lucrative venture and one that Fiji must not fail to take advantage of at any cost.
We need to identify accessible locations for this type of tourism, ensure that there is good infrastructure, hotel room facilities and resort-type facilities for carers of patients.
Government will need to devise an attractive economic package for such investment, and perhaps the Finance Minister would like to pursue this option once again.
Eco-tourism took off with a big bang at one stage but then the momentum was lost.
Eco-tourism attracts a special type of tourist and their numbers are growing every day.
An important aspect of this type of tourism is the requisite provision of infrastructure government will need to ensure that infrastructure to such areas is adequate otherwise such sites will become white elephants.
Abaca, for example has not been able to realise its full potential as a tourist destination because of a lack of infrastructure.
In this endeavour, too, the Government can access the EU-EPA aid for tourism development.
Fiji's marine resources in the Yasawas, Toberua, are potential revenue earners in eco-tourism.
The Abaca and marine reserve sanctuaries should be developed as joint ventures with the resources owners to whom low interest rate funding from FDB can be made available.
Eco-tourism development will blend well with the initiative in organic farming.
Fuel alternatives
Fiji's demand for fuel is very high and the cost is killing foreign exchange reserves.
The Government needs to stop paying lip service to the concept of alternative fuel sources.
It needs to conduct a study to determine:
The possibility of ethanol production; the cost of converting motor vehicles to use ethanol, and to compare the costs and long term benefits of ethanol use for the economy.
This should now form an integral part of the restructure of the sugar industry, together with co-generation of electricity from bagasse. Such an inclusive vision will give the sugar industry renewed life and enhanced economic value.
It will be worthwhile to study proposals for alternative energy generation projects (some that have been submitted to FEA) and have independent assessment of their applicability and benefits.
Information technology
The IT industry is huge in India. Many Australian and New Zealand companies are outsourcing from big Indian IT companies.
However, there are small and medium-sized companies that would be interested in coming to Fiji.
Fiji has resources such as high literacy, English speaking workforce, good infrastructure and telecommunications facilities, and ease of access to Australia and New Zealand.
If we are able to provide attractive tax packages to these SMEs, they will be lured to Fiji and we will benefit in terms of market and employment.
Suggestions/action required
In order for Fiji to achieve any economic growth, it is imperative that we are able to offer security of land tenure as well as security to life and produce.
Some areas that need attention are: NLTB can play a vital role in facilitating economic advancement for land owners, especially in view of recent criticism of its performance;
NLTB should emerge beyond the race factor and educate landowners/mataqali on options for land utilisation.
Once productive sugar cane lands now lying unused does not benefit the indigenous community or the nation.
It is more visionary to examine avenues for tie-ups and profit sharing for the benefit of investors as well as landowners in commercial vegetable farming; the personal involvement of landowners will guarantee the security necessary for investment and profit.
It will provide an alternative o the unfortunate recent trend of marijuana growing for subsistence;
NLTB must put an immediate stop to the leasing of reserved sugar cane farmlands for residential squatter settlement. These give short-term benefit to landowners, but commercial farming is a more sound alternative for both landowners and farmers;
NLTB must classify agriculturally viable land for long-term lease and develop conditions for renewals linked to the economy of Fiji.
In the future, there will be more indigenous Fijian farmers than Fiji-Indians.
This should be the determining factor for all procedures that are drawn up; the race factor should not be used to determine lease terms and/or renewal of leases.
Diversification of existing tourism resources England has laid the red carpet for tourists from India, and Australia and New Zealand are following suit.
Fiji needs to draw these tourist to our shores.
It would be worthwhile to do a package of concessions for hosting film festivals and Bollywood Awards in Fiji.
With its reputation as an exotic location, its beauty and good infrastructure, Fiji can explore these opportunities and benefit from the publicity. bnefits to economy Commercial vegetables farming will mean utilisation of land lying vacant, import substitution leading to savings in foreign exchange, and foreign exchange earnings form export of vegetables and fruit; generating employment and creating farms into small commercial ventures for our people and resource owners; diversification of the economy through organic farming and medical tourism will open up more land areas and earning opportunities for indigenous resource owners. Creation of new industries like food processing and freezing, ethanol production; saving foreign exchange and reducing fossil fuel consumption; expanding IT industry for employment generation and foreign exchange.
The views expressed are the writer's and not those of the Fiji Chamber of Commerce, of which he is acting president, or of the Consumer Council of Fiji, of which he is chairman.
online available at- http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=62615
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Rise in tobacco use in India alarming
Tamilnadu, Chennai
News- Rise in tobacco use in India alarming
May 14 2007
CHENNAI: While the use of tobacco and tobacco products in Western countries is showing a fall, it is alarming that their use is increasing in India, V. Shanta, director, Cancer Institute, has said.
Speaking at a workshop on `100 per cent smoke-free environment,' Dr. Shanta said after years of intervention and fighting the tobacco lobby, mortality rates due to cancers caused by smoking and using other tobacco products had dropped.
"Unless we start now in India, we will soon have a large youth population affected by disease."
The only way to generate awareness about the harmful effects of smoking was to ensure that each and every individual was reached with the message. Unless the government and media pitched in, it would be difficult to take the topic to the larger population.
The workshop was organised for representatives of auto drivers, according to E. Vidhubala, Principal Investigator in the WHO and Central Government-sponsored Tobacco Cessation Clinic at the Cancer Institute.
These `master' trainers would train other colleagues, even their clients, and spread awareness about the need for creating smoke-free, healthy environments.
Publicity material including posters, handouts and bills were given to each participant, to be displayed prominently and also distributed. They would have to document their work over the rest of the month in order to produce a report at the end of the period. Three best performers would be awarded.
Dr. Vidhubala also urged the government to ensure that the Central specification on displaying pictorial warning signs on tobacco product packages was implemented stringently.
Health Minister KKSSR Ramachandran said it was a good idea to use the auto driver as a vehicle for communicating the message about smoking and cancer. Prevention was the only way to tackle non-communicable diseases and lifestyle modifications were important. Mr. Ramachandran congratulated Dr. Shanta and her team at the Cancer Institute for not only serving people already affected by cancer but also launching a number of programmes aimed at prevention of the condition.
online available at - http://www.hindu.com/2007/05/13/stories/2007051304240600.htm
Hollywood to stub out smoking in movies
News- Hollywood to stub out smoking in movies
14th May 2007,
An R rating in the US means people under 17 must be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian. This can restrict the box office takings of many blockbusters which seek to attract the key teenage market.
ACOSH president Mike Daube said the tobacco companies were promoting smoking in films insidiously and evidence from the tobacco companies themselves showed they paid for tobacco placement in films.
“US research shows that smoking in films is a significant factor in children taking up the habit and increases the chance by two to three times,” he said.
The MPAA guidelines will not affect films where smoking is historically portrayed but will impose a tougher classification if smoking is glamorised, gratuitous or pervasive.
But leading US anti-smoking activist Stanton Glantz told The West Australian the new measures were “loophole-ridden guidelines”.
Professor Glantz said the studios, which control the MPPA, want the measures to include an option for smoking in films and want to keep paid product placement. Spider-Man 3, which just set a record for the highest grossing weekend in film history and will be seen by children around the globe, features smoking characters as do recent films such as the Cameron Diaz release The Holiday, Leonardo DiCaprio’s Blood Diamond, Pirates of the Caribbean 2, Mission Impossible III and The Da Vinci Code.
Heart Foundation chief executive Maurice Swanson disputed the necessity of increasing classifications and said a more effective strategy would be to require studios or cinema chains to commission hard-hitting advertisements before a film to combat the “massive, evil force” of cigarettes.
“Increasing the rating invokes censorship questions. Research in NSW shows that hard-hitting warnings heightened young people’s awareness and it gets them to think about why cigarettes are in a film at all,” he said.
Federal Attorney-General Phillip Ruddock said he would write to the director of the Board of Film and Literature Classification to draw the issue to his attention and seek information on how smoking in films was currently being considered by the board.
India’s Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss recently banned all cigarette smoking and tobacco product placement from Bollywood productions.
online available at- http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=23&ContentID=28591
14th May 2007,
Australian anti-tobacco lobbyists have put their weight behind regulations initiated in the US by the Motion Picture Association of America to award pictures an R rating if they include smoking.
The Australian Council on Smoking and Health said that Australia should adopt the policy immediately and classify movies that promoted smoking with an R rating.
The Australian Council on Smoking and Health said that Australia should adopt the policy immediately and classify movies that promoted smoking with an R rating.
An R rating in the US means people under 17 must be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian. This can restrict the box office takings of many blockbusters which seek to attract the key teenage market.
ACOSH president Mike Daube said the tobacco companies were promoting smoking in films insidiously and evidence from the tobacco companies themselves showed they paid for tobacco placement in films.
“US research shows that smoking in films is a significant factor in children taking up the habit and increases the chance by two to three times,” he said.
The MPAA guidelines will not affect films where smoking is historically portrayed but will impose a tougher classification if smoking is glamorised, gratuitous or pervasive.
But leading US anti-smoking activist Stanton Glantz told The West Australian the new measures were “loophole-ridden guidelines”.
Professor Glantz said the studios, which control the MPPA, want the measures to include an option for smoking in films and want to keep paid product placement. Spider-Man 3, which just set a record for the highest grossing weekend in film history and will be seen by children around the globe, features smoking characters as do recent films such as the Cameron Diaz release The Holiday, Leonardo DiCaprio’s Blood Diamond, Pirates of the Caribbean 2, Mission Impossible III and The Da Vinci Code.
Heart Foundation chief executive Maurice Swanson disputed the necessity of increasing classifications and said a more effective strategy would be to require studios or cinema chains to commission hard-hitting advertisements before a film to combat the “massive, evil force” of cigarettes.
“Increasing the rating invokes censorship questions. Research in NSW shows that hard-hitting warnings heightened young people’s awareness and it gets them to think about why cigarettes are in a film at all,” he said.
Federal Attorney-General Phillip Ruddock said he would write to the director of the Board of Film and Literature Classification to draw the issue to his attention and seek information on how smoking in films was currently being considered by the board.
India’s Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss recently banned all cigarette smoking and tobacco product placement from Bollywood productions.
online available at- http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=23&ContentID=28591
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Integrate tobacco cessation in healthcare services
By Bobby Ramakant
Opinion- Integrate tobacco cessation in healthcare services
E.X.C.E.R.P.T.S....[With appalling health systems failing to meet even the primary healthcare needs of more than a billion people, it is not going to be easy to meet the tobacco cessation needs in India. But sooner and faster we proceed, all the better]. Please read more below.....thanks
Despite rising taxes and increasing restrictions against tobacco use in India, an alarming number of young people are beginning tobacco use every year. Union Health and Family Welfare Minister of Government of India Dr Anbumani Ramadoss informed our parliament that there are more than 25 crore tobacco users in India. And if you go by WHO statistics, over 50 per cent – 12.5 crores – of them will die prematurely of a tobacco related disease. Not only quitting tobacco is difficult (and often unsuccessful) for an individual, but also it’s not easy to integrate tobacco cessation services in existing healthcare services effectively so as to help an estimated 25 crore of tobacco users in India to quit tobacco use and save needless burden of diseases and deaths.
“Why can’t we integrate tobacco cessation in already existing health systems? India has a massive network of primary to tertiary level healthcare systems across the country, and the effort should be to do ‘value addition’ of healthcare professionals by building their capacities in tobacco cessation” says a veteran frontline tobacco control advocate Professor (Dr) Rama Kant.
Strengthening of tobacco control legislations and the many diseases – 29 on the World Health Organization (WHO)’s last count, including stroke, heart diseases, various cancers and emphysema – associated with tobacco use are bringing in a change with India’s youth perceiving tobacco as a killer. The National Sample Survey Organization conducted a study during 1993-2004 which concludes that there is a 30% decline in tobacco consumption in urban India. The proportion of households with beedi smokers has also declined across the rural-urban divide, by 26-35%.
However many studies show higher tobacco use rates in medical students than in the general population. With a considerable section of healthcare professionals themselves using tobacco, how effective tobacco-cessation advocates will they become?
With deceptive tobacco advertising and misconceptions associated with tobacco use, the addiction takes roots before the age of 18, says Prof Kant. Adolescence is the age of adventure, exploration and naivety. By the time tobacco-related hazards begin to manifest, the person is already addicted to nicotine dose. Nicotine is as addictive as heroin and cocaine, stated a US Surgeon General Report in 1988. It is not easy to quit tobacco, but it is also not impossible, asserts Prof Kant.
Nicotine is a psychologically and physically addictive substance. Psychological and pharmacological aids are available to help people quit tobacco use, although success rates are relatively low. So far India has about 20 tobacco cessation clinics supported by World Health Organization across the country, mandated with the mountainous task of facilitating tobacco cessation for a population of 25 crore tobacco users!
How will we scale up tobacco cessation services in India? Should we invest astronomical amount of money in creating a new speciality of tobacco cessation experts, or rather build capacity of existing healthcare staff? Before we do that healthcare workers should be encouraged to quit tobacco and ‘choose life’ as the WHO slogan says.
There are lot of learning lessons from other public health interventions in India. Disease control and public health programmes of tuberculosis, AIDS, reproductive health, family planning and other related spheres have existed in isolation initially and only later over a considerable period of time we realized the benefits of integration. Not only resource maximization is achieved by integrating programmes as those of TB and HIV, or reproductive health, family planning and HIV, but also it is more sustainable and increases the overall effectiveness of health interventions.
It is vital for health policy makers to understand that the best way is certainly not to resurrect tobacco cessation facilities all across India rather to integrate tobacco cessation in existing healthcare systems. And this makes it all the more vital to urgently respond to the daunting challenge posed by weak health systems.
Also it is high time for healthcare professionals to ‘do what they preach’ – be a role model of a healthy lifestyle.
Tobacco use continues to be the second biggest cause of death in the world, according to the WHO. It currently kills about 50 lakhs people – one in 10 adult deaths – each year globally. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) tobacco use is responsible for over 10 lakh deaths in India each year, which is about 3000 deaths every day.
The urgency to reduce or decimate preventable burden of life-threatening diseases attributed to tobacco is compelling. There is no place for complacency. To reduce this goliath burden, not only we need to reduce the number of youth, who may begin tobacco use, but also we need to scale up quality tobacco cessation services and make it accessible, affordable and available to the most underserved communities at the earliest.
A serious commitment to arresting nicotine dependency is fundamental. Although significant proportions are successful, many people fail several times. Many tobacco users find it difficult to quit, even in the face of serious tobacco-related disease in themselves or close family members or friends.
Moreover unless tobacco users have access to quality affordable tobacco cessation services, how will we enforce anti-tobacco legislations and smoke-free air policies in India overnight? Knowing that nicotine is as addictive as heroin or cocaine (US Surgeon General Report 1988), ignoring the healthcare needs of tobacco using people is being naïve.
E.X.C.E.R.P.T.S....[With appalling health systems failing to meet even the primary healthcare needs of more than a billion people, it is not going to be easy to meet the tobacco cessation needs in India. But sooner and faster we proceed, all the better]. Please read more below.....thanks
Despite rising taxes and increasing restrictions against tobacco use in India, an alarming number of young people are beginning tobacco use every year. Union Health and Family Welfare Minister of Government of India Dr Anbumani Ramadoss informed our parliament that there are more than 25 crore tobacco users in India. And if you go by WHO statistics, over 50 per cent – 12.5 crores – of them will die prematurely of a tobacco related disease. Not only quitting tobacco is difficult (and often unsuccessful) for an individual, but also it’s not easy to integrate tobacco cessation services in existing healthcare services effectively so as to help an estimated 25 crore of tobacco users in India to quit tobacco use and save needless burden of diseases and deaths.
“Why can’t we integrate tobacco cessation in already existing health systems? India has a massive network of primary to tertiary level healthcare systems across the country, and the effort should be to do ‘value addition’ of healthcare professionals by building their capacities in tobacco cessation” says a veteran frontline tobacco control advocate Professor (Dr) Rama Kant.
Strengthening of tobacco control legislations and the many diseases – 29 on the World Health Organization (WHO)’s last count, including stroke, heart diseases, various cancers and emphysema – associated with tobacco use are bringing in a change with India’s youth perceiving tobacco as a killer. The National Sample Survey Organization conducted a study during 1993-2004 which concludes that there is a 30% decline in tobacco consumption in urban India. The proportion of households with beedi smokers has also declined across the rural-urban divide, by 26-35%.
However many studies show higher tobacco use rates in medical students than in the general population. With a considerable section of healthcare professionals themselves using tobacco, how effective tobacco-cessation advocates will they become?
With deceptive tobacco advertising and misconceptions associated with tobacco use, the addiction takes roots before the age of 18, says Prof Kant. Adolescence is the age of adventure, exploration and naivety. By the time tobacco-related hazards begin to manifest, the person is already addicted to nicotine dose. Nicotine is as addictive as heroin and cocaine, stated a US Surgeon General Report in 1988. It is not easy to quit tobacco, but it is also not impossible, asserts Prof Kant.
Nicotine is a psychologically and physically addictive substance. Psychological and pharmacological aids are available to help people quit tobacco use, although success rates are relatively low. So far India has about 20 tobacco cessation clinics supported by World Health Organization across the country, mandated with the mountainous task of facilitating tobacco cessation for a population of 25 crore tobacco users!
How will we scale up tobacco cessation services in India? Should we invest astronomical amount of money in creating a new speciality of tobacco cessation experts, or rather build capacity of existing healthcare staff? Before we do that healthcare workers should be encouraged to quit tobacco and ‘choose life’ as the WHO slogan says.
There are lot of learning lessons from other public health interventions in India. Disease control and public health programmes of tuberculosis, AIDS, reproductive health, family planning and other related spheres have existed in isolation initially and only later over a considerable period of time we realized the benefits of integration. Not only resource maximization is achieved by integrating programmes as those of TB and HIV, or reproductive health, family planning and HIV, but also it is more sustainable and increases the overall effectiveness of health interventions.
It is vital for health policy makers to understand that the best way is certainly not to resurrect tobacco cessation facilities all across India rather to integrate tobacco cessation in existing healthcare systems. And this makes it all the more vital to urgently respond to the daunting challenge posed by weak health systems.
Also it is high time for healthcare professionals to ‘do what they preach’ – be a role model of a healthy lifestyle.
Tobacco use continues to be the second biggest cause of death in the world, according to the WHO. It currently kills about 50 lakhs people – one in 10 adult deaths – each year globally. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) tobacco use is responsible for over 10 lakh deaths in India each year, which is about 3000 deaths every day.
The urgency to reduce or decimate preventable burden of life-threatening diseases attributed to tobacco is compelling. There is no place for complacency. To reduce this goliath burden, not only we need to reduce the number of youth, who may begin tobacco use, but also we need to scale up quality tobacco cessation services and make it accessible, affordable and available to the most underserved communities at the earliest.
A serious commitment to arresting nicotine dependency is fundamental. Although significant proportions are successful, many people fail several times. Many tobacco users find it difficult to quit, even in the face of serious tobacco-related disease in themselves or close family members or friends.
Moreover unless tobacco users have access to quality affordable tobacco cessation services, how will we enforce anti-tobacco legislations and smoke-free air policies in India overnight? Knowing that nicotine is as addictive as heroin or cocaine (US Surgeon General Report 1988), ignoring the healthcare needs of tobacco using people is being naïve.
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Indian tobacco needs a quality check`
May 10 2007
News- `Indian tobacco needs a quality check`
"I have been coming to India for the last 15 years but I am yet to see fully-flavoured or even semi-flavoured tobacco. I have come across and purchased only filler tobacco," starts off Jean Lafanechaire, area manager of Altadis.
Altadis, the fifth largest tobacco company in the world and the world leader in cigar manufacturing, has been buying tobacco from India for over 25 years.
Jean disagrees with the assessment of J Suresh Babu, Tobacco Board chairman; farmers’ leader Y Sivaji, and scientists of the Central Tobacco Research Institute that Indian tobacco is in no way inferior to that of Brazil, Zimbabwe or any other country.
“You cannot compare Indian tobacco with Brazilian or Zimbabwean tobacco. The latter are far superior to Indian tobacco in quality and flavour,” he points out.
“Cigarette companies these days consider it a good year if they make just 3 per cent profit. They pay 80 per cent of the retail prices as taxes and another eight per cent goes to retailers. Then come all other expenses. Tobacco is purchased based on competitive prices in the international market. The fully-flavoured tobacco (best) comes from Brazil, Zimbabwe and the US, and it is mixed with filler tobacco from countries like India to increase the profit.”
“While Karnataka tobacco is a clean filler (better), AP tobacco is less matured with less filling power. Hence, buyers rush for Karnataka tobacco,” he explains.
Jean also has the solutions. “Indian farmers should be helped in improving crop quality and per hectare yields, which has remained stagnant. In Karnataka, the maximum yield is 1,200 kg per hectare while in Brazil it is 12 tonne. Contract farming and cultivation of aromatic tobacco can bring in better prices. The monsoon crop experiment of the Indian Tobacco Board and ILTD in Prakasam holds great hopes for Indian farmers.”
“The auction system is pitted against the Indian farmers. Bright, medium and low-grade tobaccos get almost the same price, which is not the case anywhere in the world. Moreover, there is no duty for tobacco exports from Africa to Europe. But the Indian government levies duties on exports to Europe. All these need to be changed,” he says.
World AIDS Orphan Day,
Article of Amit Dwivedi in Swatantra Bharat on World AIDS Orphan Day, May 7 2006
भारत ६ मई, २००७
चाहत एक सामान्य जीवन जीने की
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भारत ६ मई, २००७
चाहत एक सामान्य जीवन जीने की
.jpg)
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Indians bag Gwangju HR prize
Scoop, Newzeland
Central Chronicle, Bhopal , MP
9 May 2007
Opinion- Indians bag Gwangju HR prize
The 2007 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights has been jointly given to two Indians this year. Dr Lenin Raghuvanshi from People's Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR) in Varanasi (UP) and Irom Sharmila from Manipur state.
9 May 2007
Opinion- Indians bag Gwangju HR prize
The 2007 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights has been jointly given to two Indians this year. Dr Lenin Raghuvanshi from People's Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR) in Varanasi (UP) and Irom Sharmila from Manipur state.
This is the first time that Indians have figured in the recipient list. The past recipients include Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, the NLD General Secretary in Myanmar, Xanana Gusmao, President of East Timor; Basil Fernando, Executive Director of Asian Human Rights Commission, Hong Kong; Korean Association of Bereaved Families for Democracy, South Korea; and Dandeniya Gamage Jayanthi, Monument for The Disappeared, Sri Lanka.
The Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Award was established to celebrate the spirit of the 18 May 1980 Gwangju Uprising by recognizing both individuals, groups or institutions globally that have contributed in promoting and advancing human rights, democracy and peace in their work.
The prize is awarded by the citizens of Gwangju in the spirit of solidarity and gratitude from those whom they have received help in their struggle for democratization and search for truth. It is hoped that through this award the spirit and message of the May 18 will be immortalized in the hearts and mind of humankind.
Dr Lenin Raghuvanshi has put up vehement resistance against the caste system, supported advocacy initiatives of torture victims in 5 northern states and brought hope back to the minds of more than 3,500 bonded child laborers and those suffering human rights infringements prompted by the caste system, especially to the untouchables.
The Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) enacted in 1958, which is operative at the time of a 'suspected' riot(s) in order to 'maintain public order', allows killing by shooting, entering and search of property, and arbitrary detention, etc., its abuse is currently spawning grave human rights violations in some parts of India. Under the powers of AFSPA, on 2 November 2000, the Indian military opened fire on its own citizens in the state of Manipur. Since then, Irom Sharmila, a resident of the tragic state, has refused to eat and drink anything in resistance to indiscriminate use of the AFSPA against civilians.
The response of the Indian government to her resistance has been repetitively evasive: the government has arrested her on a charge of 'attempted suicide', force-fed her and then freed her under applicable law, but, up until now, has failed to provide any fundamental alternative to the law in question. In October 2006, Sharmila left Manipur for New Delhi, the capital of India, at the peril of her own life, to facilitate the accomplishment of the goal of her 6-year-long struggle, i.e. the abolishment of the AFSPA.
However, her daring mission was brought to an abrupt halt when she was arrested by the New Delhi police on her second day in the city. Currently, she is in custody at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital (RMH).
In recognition of their efforts to improve human rights in India , the 2007 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Selection Committee has selected Lenin Raghuvanshi and Irom Sharmila as co-recipients of the award.
This award carries a prize money amounting to US$ 50,000, a gold medal and a certificate, and ceremony will be held in Gwangju City, Republic of Korea to mark the 27 th anniversary of 18 May 1980 Gwangju Uprising.
"Over the years, I have been very involved in and worried about the situation of marginalized children. In 1993, with Swani Agnivesh, I founded the Bachapan Bachao Andolan (Save the Childhood Movement) and in 1996 the People's Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR) was born to reeducate children who were forced to work" said Dr Lenin.
Lenin Raghuvanshi has become a symbol for millions of Dalits fighting for their dignity in India. His approach to the struggle constantly puts the person at the centre and urges respect for the human dignity of all people belonging to India's lowest castes.
The work of Lenin Raghuvanshi marks a shift in the Indian movement for human rights; he is one of a relatively few activists who insist that caste-based discrimination goes against democratic principles. In Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh - one of the most traditionalist, conservative and segregationist regions in India - Lenin, with a few resources but plenty of confidence and determination, has managed within a short time to bring the problems facing marginalized people to national and international attention.
In 2004, to give voice to those who are marginalized, the Jan Mitra Gaon' was born, also known as 'People-friendly village'. This is a pilot project in which Lenin adopted three villages and a slum, where plans include reopening an elementary school, abolishing forced labour, making education for girls obligatory and spreading non-traditional education. There is no elementary education in vast rural areas but the PVCHR has opened educational centres for children in 45 villages.
"Thanks to the intervention of the PVCHR before international and national fora," says Raghuvanshi, "we have managed to put hunger on the agenda of government priorities.
Bobby Ramakant
online available at- http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0705/S00177.htm
Mahilaon mein Badhta Fibriede ka prakop
Mahilaon mein Badhta Fibriede ka prakop
स्वतंत्र भारत, अप्रील १७, २००७
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स्वतंत्र भारत, अप्रील १७, २००७
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