Sep 27, 2017
Can’t sell candy or cola in cigarette shops as govt plans to curb tobacco abuse
Shops selling tobacco products must not sell items such as toffees, candies, chips, biscuits, soft drinks, etc. that may attract non-users.
Cigarette packets are displayed at a shop in Mumbai.
Tobacconists must register with the local civic authority and they can’t sell candies and colas on the side that attract non-smokers to the shop, the government proposed in an attempt to reduce tobacco abuse in India.
The Union health ministry wrote on September 21 to the states to develop a mechanism to provide permission or authorisation through the municipal authority to retail shops selling tobacco products such as cigarette, bidi, chewable gutkha and khaini.
“The idea is to track every single shop selling tobacco products by making them register with the local municipal authority. Government should be able to identify all cigarette shops running anywhere in the country,” said Arun Jha, economic advisor with the ministry.
The focus is to discourage tobacco abuse among people, especially children and young adults.
“The sale of tobacco products to minors must be tracked and there should be no advertisement of tobacco products. These shops must not sell non-tobacco products such as toffees, candies, chips, biscuits, soft drinks, etc. that may attract non-users,” Jha said.
FACTS
According to a govt survey, every fifth adult in India are addicted to gutkha and khaini.
100 million Indians smoke cigarettes and bidis.
A World Health Organisation report says 10 million people die in India every year because of smoke-related diseases.
Tobacco was introduced in India in the 1600s
Every fifth adult in this country of more than 1.2 billion people are addicted to gutkha and khaini, while 100 million people smoke cigarettes and bidis, according to a government-approved survey.
“Tobacco initiation age in India is about 16 years … Tobacco shops are mushrooming and this order could act as a stronger deterrent than the current lenient law,” said Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi, head and neck surgeon at Tata Memorial Hospital.
A World Health Organization (WHO) report says around 10 million people die in the country every year because of smoke-related diseases such as cancer, respiratory and heart disorders.
Tobacco abuse is a preventable cause of cancer, a disease growing at an alarming pace. Close to 60% cancers are preventable, of which 40% are related to tobacco.
Activists have lobbied for years for stronger restrictions, prompting the authorities to unroll ambitious new curbs on the popular habit that has taken a serious toll on the country’s health.
Besides stringent anti-smoking measures nationwide, including tax hikes on tobacco products, there are laws to deter sales.
The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003, discourages sales.
Giving or selling tobacco to a child attracts up to seven years of rigorous imprisonment under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.
According to the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, tobacco and nicotine cannot be used in any foodstuff.
But people addicted to tobacco always find an excuse for their unhealthy indulgence. Cigarettes have become part of the social fabric after tobacco was introduced in India in the 1600s.
The government hopes to change that.
“Many states have responded positively to the letter and understand the larger benefits of the move. We have made a request, let’s see how soon it can be implemented,” Jha said.
Unsafe, substandard food sold unabated in JK markets
SRINAGAR: The Food Safety Department officials have found hundreds of food outlets selling substandard and unhygienic in Jammu and Kashmir using carcinogenic substances as coloring and flavoring agents in popular food items.
According to official figures, over 660 food items were found substandard, misbranded and unsafe for human consumption in last one year as they have been using banned ingredients and synthetic coloring and flavoring agents.
Officials told Kashmir Reader said some of the food outlets were found using carcinogenic coloring agents like Tatrazine and banned flavoring agents in popular food items like Kebabs, Kanti, Biryani, Ice cream and Milk/fruit shakes.
“Most of the food outlets were using banned coloring and flavoring agents which forced us to seize their licenses. We have also launched prosecution against them as per Food Safety and Standard Act and Rules,” they said.
Over 1100 prosecutions have been launched against the violators between April 2016 and March 2017, as per the official data.
Shockingly, the food safety officials have found many food outlets in main business hub Lal Chowk using banned Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) in food items.
MSG is a harmful tasting agent which was found in Maggi noodles last year and led to its temporary ban across India.
“Unfortunately people are being served food items mixed with harmful chemicals. This is the highly alarming situation and needs to be checked as soon as possible,” said an officer.
Last month, the Assistant Commissioner Food Safety (Hq) J&K has issued a notice to all the designated officers across the state asking them to keep vigil over the sale of substandard and contaminated food items including milk and cold drinks and proceed under Food Safety and Standard Act and Rules.
Oncologists said that researchers had found that synthetic colouring agents act as carcinogens though not fully classified as yet.
“The colouring agents like Tartizine and Corsimisine which were found in food items are non-permitted to be used in the food products especially spice. If they are used in smoked or grilled food they become more deadly,” doctors said.
Tartazine is carcinogen, says study
Tartrazine is one of the most widely used artificial foods, drugs and cosmetic dyes. It is a nitrous derivative and is known to cause allergic reactions such as asthma and urticaria, as well as having been the focus of studies on mutagenesis and carcinogenesis due to its transformation into aromatic amine sulfanilic acid after being metabolized by the gastrointestinal microflora. 45 male Wistar rats were assigned to a control group (A) or a treatment one (B).
The treatment group received 7.5 mg x kg(-1) x day(-1) of tartrazine daily in drinking water offered ad libitum for ten months from weaning to the age of twelve months. There was a significant increase in the number of lymphocytes and eosinophils of the gastric antrum mucosa. No carcinogenetic changes in any gastric area were observed during the study. As tartrazine belongs to the azo class, it is still a possible food carcinogen. Other studies with different doses and schedules, observing their effects associated to other carcinogens should be carried out if their safe use is to be recommended.
Adulterated edible oil racket busted
The officials of Vigilance and Enforcement department in association with Civil Supplies Department on Tuesday conducted a raid and busted a gang involved in making adulterated edible oil at HB Colony area in the city.
The officials nabbed one K Ravindra Reddy, prime accused in the oil adulteration racket.
Vigilance DSP CM Naidu said Reddy and his team used to collect the used edible oil from various places and would mix it with fresh edible oil and sell them in various parts of the State and also in Telangana.
The officials seized over 2,000 litres of the adulterated oil and an oil tanker, in which they used to prepare the adulterated edible oil.
The officials have launched a manhunt for two persons in connection with the case. Officials of Food Safety Department said consumption of the adulterated oil could lead to lead to liver cancer and jaundice and a few other diseases.
Ujjain: Admin cracks the whip on sellers of adulterated sweets during festive season
Ujjain: The food safety department will clamp down heavily on shopkeepers and vendors selling adulterated sweets and ‘mawa’ during this festival season. The city administration has taken the decision to impose the National Security Act against offenders, in view of the huge volumes of sweets consumed during Dushhera and Diwali. Collector Sanket Bhondve and SP Sachin Atulkar have instructed the health department to keep a strict vigil in this regard.
These decisions were taken at a meeting which the collector held with SDMs and SDOs of the district. He also gave several orders regarding safety and security, during the festival season. He further instructed officials to ensure that the Explosives Act was complied with, for the use of firecrackers. During the meet, ADM Narendra Suryavanshi informed that all 29 cases registered under NSA had been solved. A total of 305 cases of detention were registered, out of which 103 cases were retracted, due lack of evidence and around 50 percent of cases registered under NSA were cancelled.
The collector also gave orders for the auction of vehicles seized in various cases under the excise act, mineral act and others. He called for the formation of a committee for the purpose, and issuance of a corrigendum of auction. Total registered arms in district stood at 5700, the ADM informed. The collector and SP called for strict action against those in illegal possession of arms and cancellation of arms licenses of those with criminal records.
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