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Journalism of Courage
MUMBAI, May 31: A K Lakhani, commissioner, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Government of Maharashtra, said today that the provisions of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 are weak on the regulations of tobacco products and they need a fresh look.
Delivering the key note address at a seminar on prevention of tobacco, organised by Tata Memorial hospital on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day’ today, Lakhani pointed out that there are no specific provisions to ban or restrict the sale of tobacco products in the country.
Health, as a subject, is on the concurrent list of the Constitution and all amendments to the provisions of the Food Adulteration Act have to be made by Parliament.
The States can only initiate amendments for operations in their respective States. Maharashtra would have to enact its own legislation to ban this item. One approach to attack the problem is by sizing it, said Lakhani. “We should first target smokeless tobacco products,” he said and added that it is an acknowledged fact that paan masala and other smokeless tobaco products are higher in nicotine content.
Unconfirmed estimates indicate that gutkha worth Rs 1,500 crore is sold annually in Maharashtra alone, which has 20 manufacturing units located in six districts. There are about 80 brands of gutkha selling in our State.Dr Ram Barot, chairman, Civic Public Health Committee, noted that India too should start having counter advertisements as in USA to increase awareness and educate the people.
