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'Nothing's more alluring than Katrina lighting your beedi'  

If you watch Katrina Kaif's [ Images ] item song Chikni Chameli [ Images ] in Agneepath, you will see a statutory warning scrolling at the bottom of the screen every time she sings, 'Beedi chillum jalaane ayee,' claiming cigarette smoking is injurious to health.

But there is no reason for the film industry to go into panic mode.

As Pankaja Thakur, CEO of the Censor Board Of Film Certification (CBFC), says it doesn't mean every sequence showing a character smoking would be required to run a warning scroll.

"Not at all!" exclaims Thakur emphatically. "The intention of the scroll is being misinterepreted by a section of the film imdustry. An actor smoking on screen is a different matter from an actress saying, Beedi chillum jalaane aayee. We did ask for the scroll in Agneepath. As per the cinematograph act, glamorisation of smoking is not to be allowed on screen. We in the Censor Board thought nothing can make smoking more alluring than Katrina Kaif offering to light the crowd's beedis and chillums."

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Rs1 lakh worth fake beedis seized, kingpin arrested  

If they are doing this with beedis, then cigarettes may not be far behind. KG Halli police have arrested a person for rolling spurious beedis and selling them in wrappers labelled with names and logos of original brands.

The accused, Mohammed Khaleel, 50, a resident of KG Halli, was manufacturing beedis in his house for the past five years and had employed six persons. The police discovered that Khaleel had used well-known beedi brands like Mangalore Ganesh Beedi and Khaja Beedi to push his duplicate products in the market to make easy money.

"It is very difficult to identify the fake ones from the original beedis. Each pack of beedis that he had manufactured in his house looked so identical with the original brands that even we were foxed," said a police official.

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• Discourage glamorisation of smoking: CEO, Censor Board  

If you stare hard enough at the screen during Katrina Kaif's item song in 'Agneepath', you will see a statutory warning flashed at the bottom of the screen. But there is no reason for the film industry to go into a panic mode, says Pankaja Thakur, CEO of the Central Board Of Film Certification (CBFC), adding that they just try to discourage glamorisation of smoking on screen.

Contray to the widespread concern in the entertainment industry, the board doesn't intend to ask for a warning scroll every time a character on screen takes a smoke.

"As long as lyrics like 'Bidi chillum jalaane aayee', offering smoking temptations, are not prevalent, the scroll in 'Agneepath' would be a one-off thing. As long as an actor doesn't urge the world to join in the bidi- chillum smoke, the scroll in 'Agneepath' would remain a one-off thing. Glamorization of smoking is to be discouraged as per the guidelines of the Cinematograph Act," said Thakur.

He also says that the filmmakers shouldn't get panicky.

"Not at all!"

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Jorhat launches anti-tobacco drive 

Jorhat has become the first district in the country to introduce a new anti-tobacco drive launched by the Centre recently to control the use of tobacco among people under eighteen years of age.

Imposing a strict ban on the sale of tobacco to minors, the Jorhat district tobacco control cell has installed a statutory notice at every tobacco shop instructing both the proprietor and a prospective buyer to follow the rule.

The move comes after the Indian government issued a general notification directing all states to launch the drive on December 1, 2011. The government has also unveiled a new logo for their drive.

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Film-makers fume over anti-smoking diktat 

The decision of the censor board to ask the producers of Agneepath to run an anti-smoking scroll for the Chikni Chameli song has not gone down well with the industry. Many feel it is curbing their creative freedom and the producers' body is planning to write to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) objecting to the new decision.

Siddharth Roy Kapur of UTV Motion Pictures said, "Producers will have to abide by the law of the land. However, it curbs creative freedom significantly and distracts the flow if one has to include anti-smoking scrolls in a movie."

He added, "The authorities should reconsider their decision and ask for all such messages to be included at the start of the film." The Association of Motion Pictures and Television Programme Producers (AMPTPP) is also not too happy.

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• Tobacco stains on hospitals 

Residents rushing to government hospitals in the state capital for urgent healthcare are often greeted by cigarette smoke and tobacco stains on the premises.

Traders and visitors merrily violate Section 6(b) of the Anti-Tobacco Act, 2003, that bans the sale and consumption of tobacco products within 100 yards of hospitals and health institutions.

The Telegraph visited three hospitals in the state capital today and found rules being blown away with the smoke.

IGIMS

Squatters and stall owners sell cigarettes and other tobacco products right in front of the emergency ward at Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS). . . .

PMCH

The condition at Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) is no better. Patients and their relatives complain that kiosks selling tobacco products are a dime a dozen . . .

NMCH

Visitors to Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH), too, have similar unpleasant experiences. "Whenever I come to NMCH, I am forced to be a passive smoker,"

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MoHFW Launches Anti Tobacco Mass Media Campaign  

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s tobacco control campaign has launched music video ‘Life Se Panga mat Le Yaar’ sung by singer Shaan. In May 2011, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had appointed Shaan as the tobacco control ambassador of India.

The campaign ‘Life Se Panga Mat Le Yaar’ is being aired on major radio stations like Radio Mirchi, Radio City, BIG FM and Red FM across India from January 28 2012. Unveiling of the music video on popular national television channels like MTV, Sab TV, UTV Bindass and 9XM has begun from 1st February 2012. The 2.3 minute track has a melody and rhythm composed by Shaan. The lyrics have been written by Rekha Nigam and the music video has been directed by Alia Sen Sharma of Chrome Pictures. The video has been co-produced by Salaam Bombay Foundation. . . .

In order to implement the tobacco control laws and create awareness on the harmful effects of tobacco use the Government of India launched the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) 2007-08. National level mass media public awareness campaigns are very important component of the NTCP and as per the ‘ WHO report on Global Tobacco Epidemic 2011’ India is one of the few countries to have a dedicated budget for the tobacco control mass media campaign.

As per estimates, in India, nearly 1 million people die every year due to diseases related to tobacco use.

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• Power puff rules - Tobacco shops near campuses, police can't be bothered 

Section 6(b) of the national anti-tobacco law of 2003 and the Prohibition of Smoking in Public Places Rules, 2008, ban sale and consumption of tobacco products within 100 yards of hospitals, educational institutions and other public buildings. But one doesn't need a newspaper report to know that the law is more violated than implemented in the capital.

Ironically, makeshift cigarette stalls swamp the area near the special ward that is meant to cure patients suffering from tuberculosis, a disease mainly caused by excessive consumption of tobacco that contains nicotine.

The state-run hospital isn't the only place where the ban goes up in smoke. Half a dozen of its neighbours on Purulia Road, including St Xavier's College and XISS, also blatantly abuse the law. A notice at the entrance of St Xavier's announces the campus is a no-smoking zone, but business is brisk right outside the gate, courtesy students and others.

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'Discourage glamorisation of smoking'  

If you stare hard enough at the screen during Katrina Kaif's item song in "Agneepath", you will see a statutory warning flashed at the bottom of the screen. But there is no reason for the film industry to go into a panic mode, says Pankaja Thakur, CEO of the Central Board Of Film Certification (CBFC), adding that they just try to discourage glamorisation of smoking on screen.

Contray to the widespread concern in the entertainment industry, the board doesn't intend to ask for a warning scroll every time a character on screen takes a smoke.

"As long as lyrics like 'Bidi chillum jalaane aayee', offering smoking temptations, are not prevalent, the scroll in 'Agneepath' would be a one-off thing. As long as an actor doesn't urge the world to join in the bidi- chillum smoke, the scroll in 'Agneepath' would remain a one-off thing. Glamorization of smoking is to be discouraged as per the guidelines of the Cinematograph Act," said Thakur.

He also says that the filmmakers shouldn't get panicky.

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Let’s have tobacco-free youth, urges Shaan 

We must create awareness about the disastrous effects of tobacco consumption among the youths, says Bollywood singer Shaan, who Thursday launched the song ‘Life Se Panga Mat Le Yaar’ to spread the message.

"We must create awareness about the disastrous effects of tobacco consumption, especially among the young generation of the nation," said the singer who has associated himself with the Salaam Bombay Foundation to create awareness about ill effects of tobacco consumption.

"A word of awareness should be spread around in the best possible way to stop the consumption of tobacco by children and music is the only language that can reach all age groups... it has no barriers," he added.

Last year, the ministry of health and family welfare appointed Shaan as the tobacco control ambassador of India.

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Anti-tobacco drive to pick up steam 

The Union government has asked the State police to incorporate Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce Production, Supply and Distribution) Act (COTPA) violations in the monthly crime review for 'strengthening the public health measure at the district and sub-district level.'

The State Police Chief has been asked to collate the violations for strengthening 'institutionalisation of the mechanism and to forward the details on monthly basis' to the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry. The directive has been issued by Keshav Desiraju, Additional Secretary, Health and Family Welfare.

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As Budgam goes smoke free Ruhullah pledges to quit puffing  

Barely two days after Budgam was declared “Smoke Free” on the Republic Day, the local MLA Aga Ruhullah Mehdi Saturday had some candid confession as the young Cabinet Minister pledged that he would quit smoking so that the central Kashmir district, he represents, gets more of voluntary support in the endeavour.

While addressing a function in connection with the recent announcement of “Smoke Free Budgam”, Ruhullah, Minister for IT and Animal Husbandry, said: “I may not say no more of it(puffing) from today or tomorrow. But I’ll definitely leave this place with a promise that this is the time to start saying no to it, cutting down it.”

Starting his speech with keenly chosen words, the Minister said: “This is a topic which in practical life I don’t practice and unfortunately happen to be a slave of it. But there’s not a single word which can endorse smoking. There’s not a single reason that a person will start smoking.”

“Talking in practicality, it only starts as a style statement… This is the case with most people (smokers),” he added.

“The slavery which I have accepted drives one towards worst. It hurts your pocket not only in short term but even in long term, hurts your health,” he said.

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Godfrey Phillips’ Q3 net up 22.26 pc at Rs 45.91 cr 

Cigarette-maker Godfrey Phillips India (GPI) on Wednesday posted a 22.26 per cent increase in net profit to Rs 45.91 crore for the third quarter ended December 31, 2011.

GPI's net profit for the three months ended December 31, 2010, stood at Rs 37.55 crore, it said in a filing to the BSE.

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Tobacco sold in Panchkula dispensary compound  

The Haryana Health Department declares itself to be fit and fine but right inside its Panchkula Sector 20 dispensaries are vendors ready to sell you bidis, cigarettes and tobacco.

In the dispensary you may or may not be able to get medicines but you are sure of getting tobacco. That's right. Also within the dispensary compound are tea-stalls employing small children.

Both the underage workers and the tobacco sellers are illegal.

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• Budgam is first smoke-free district in State 

The central Kashmir district of Budgam has become the first district in the entire State to be declared as smoking free. In an effort to safeguard the health of people from hazardous effects of smoking and tobacco chewing, the administration has banned use of tobacco and smoking at 3500 public places in the district.

While making this revelation during media sensitization programmes organised here, Executive Director of JK Voluntary Health Association A M Mir said the declaration to this effect was made by Deputy Commissioner Budgam Mohammad Rafi on January 26.

Under this declaration, made under Section 4 of Cigarette and other Tobacco Products Act 2003 and COTPA, the administration in Budgam has declared all 3500 public places including health institutions, schools and offices as free of smoking.

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