Just when we anti-tobacco lobbyists have started to believe that we have earned ourselves a feather in our cap by getting the national ban on smoking in public places into effect we are now jolted out of our reverie by the recent volte-face shown by our brethren in the polity on the pictorial warnings law.
The deference of the pictorial warning law to post elections day means that this law would not see the light of day till maybe april 2009. It seems like the smoke-screen just blew out leaving us with a clear view of the challenges that lie ahead.
For those of you who have not read about it, I have pasted the complete story as reported by the Times of India on 26 November 2009, in the adjoining image.
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You may visit my website to see some of the cartoons that I have made on these issue -
http://chaturvedi.pankaj.googlepages.com/packwarning_mini.jpg/packwarning_mini-full;init:.jpg
http://chaturvedi.pankaj.googlepages.com/high_court_final_min.jpg/high_court_final_min-full;init:.jpg
Dr PC Gupta, President 14th WCTOH, has hit the issue bang on in his response to this article. This was published in Times of India on 28th November, 2008. He says, "The delay is the direct impact of pressure from the tobacco lobby and has nothing to do with recession as has been claimed. Even the pictorial warning that has been finalized (scorpio & diseased lungs)is very weak. Our study shows it doesn't have much of an impact even when compared to the skull & bones."
We should have more & more of us coming forward and voicing opinion on this issue. The first step to action is to speak about it.
Just when India thought that government is serious about the tobacco issue and will take some serious steps, it fails again the pictorial law has been postponed to 1st may, 2009 even the implementation of the no-smoking law at public places has failed. Why does the government always want to suffer, and then take some harsh steps? Why can’t we prevent the worst rather than suffering, and then we start to play the blame game.
Because of cops being corrupt places like Zenzi, Shatranj in Bandra and other restraunts in Bombay are not following the no-smoking law in restraunts. We common people have to stand up and do something about this situation.
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