The Hindu : National : Ramadoss to discuss on-screen smoking ban

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Friday, Jan 20, 2006

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National

Ramadoss to discuss on-screen smoking ban

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Anbumani Ramadoss on Thursday said he would take up the matter of banning on-screen smoking with the Information and Broadcasting Ministry but clarified that the Ministry would go ahead with the proposed prohibition.

``I will talk to the I and B Ministry on the issue,'' he told reporters at the Sixth Social Editors Conference here a day after I and B Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi said imposing the ban was not an easy task. ``We are going to move forward, but the matter is now in court,'' he said.

Once a ruling was passed, the Ministry would take action as per the ruling, he said adding that his Ministry's initiative was in accordance with the Anti-Tobacco Act. Reacting to Mr. Dasmunsi's suggestion that smoking should not be glamorised, he said the provision in this regard was already present in the Indian Cinematography Act but it had not been implemented. He said the Ministry had already given concessions to historical characters depicting the use of tobacco and said the campaign was catching up with the people while quoting film star Amitabhs apology for promoting smoking in an advertisement.

He said the Government had already prepared a draft notification to prohibit use of tobacco and alcohol in food items, prohibiting the sale of ``tobacco-laced gutka.'' The notification was likely to be finalised in a few months, he added.

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