Say no to smoking and alcohol

Forty percent of India's health problems are linked to smoking, Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss says, defending the stringent measures to ban smoking  in  public places from Oct 2.  "According to a WHO survey, the (size of the) tobacco industry is Rs 35,000 crore (Rs 350 billion/$8 billion). Government as well as individual expenditure on preventing and treating tobacco-related health ailments as well as loss of production due to these diseases is Rs.36,000 crore (Rs.360 billion)," Ramadoss said in an interview.  He also pointed out that of the five million people the world over who have health problems because of  tobacco use , one million are Indians.  Ramadoss denied suggestions that he was playing the moral policeman due to the health ministry's banning smoking in public places from Oct 2.  "I am not trying to play a moral policeman or guardian. I am just doing my job. As health minister it is my responsibility to create awareness in the general population ...

 Contrary to the popular notion, light cigarettes can deliver nearly as much nicotine to the brain as regular cigarettes, according to a new study. For decades, cigarette makers have been marketing the so-called light cigarettes - which contain less nicotine than regular smokes - with the implication that they are less harmful to smokers' health, however, the new study from University of California, Los Angeles challenges the notion. Light cigarettes have nicotine levels of 0.6 to 1 milligrams, while regular cigarettes contain between 1.2 and 1.4 milligrams. The research team led by UCLA psychiatry professor Dr. Arthur L. Brody have found that low-nicotine cigarettes act similarly to regular cigarettes, occupying a significant percentage of the brain's nicotine receptors. They also looked at de-nicotinized cigarettes, which contain only a trace amount of nicotine (0.05 milligrams) and are currently being tested as an adjunct to standard smoking-cessation treatments. They found ...

The four-city survey conducted, between August 9 and 24, by Healis Sekhsaria Institute for Public  Health  found that 92% of those surveyed were in favour of smoke-free India. In Mumbai, 96% of the respondents supported the legislation.  When the ban on smoking at work and public places comes into effect on October 2, there won't be any protests here. The city's residents, along with those in Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai, have voted in a survey to indicate that they are overwhelmingly in favour of the Centre's plan to introduce smoke-free zones.  "People have clearly stated that they are against smoking in all public places and workplaces, including restaurants and bars," said Dr P C Gupta at a press conference on Thursday. The survey also found that Indians viewed second-hand smoke as a health risk. "Nine out of ten surveyed knew that exposure to second-hand smoke is a serious (84%) or moderate (14%) health hazard for the non-smoker," he added.  Health ex...

Bangalore, Sept 2 (PTI) In keeping with its sustained anti-tobacco campaign, the Centre will implement a "workplace smoke-free policy" from October 2."Smoking will not be permitted in private and public buildings. Those wishing to smoke will have to step out on the roads," Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Dr Anbumani Ramadoss told reporters here.The ban applies to all companies, including the IT sector, Ramadoss said. Companies could no longer have designated smoking rooms, he added.The rule would also apply to small cafes, restaurants, pubs or discotheques. Hotels having more than 30 seat arrangement would have to create a separate enclosure for smokers and a separate ventilation arrangement as per the act, he said.Currently the punitive action for those violating the ban is Rs 200 but the ministry is keen on increasing it to Rs 1,000 for individuals committing the offence and Rs 5,000 for organisations.The government would run a series of advertisements...