Huang Cheng-tai, chairman of the anti-smoking non-governmental John
Tung Foundation, lauded the Indian government's determination to
establish a no-smoking environment, and call on the Taiwanese
government to adopt similar measures.
Source: Taiwan News
India seen leading anti-smoking efforts
10/19/2007 (Taiwan News)
Local
anti-smoking activists urged the Taiwanese government on Thursday to
follow India's lead in discouraging smoking, noting that India
prohibits the inclusion of any smoking scenes in locally produced
movies and television shows.
Huang Cheng-tai, chairman of the anti-smoking non-governmental John
Tung Foundation, lauded the Indian government's determination to
establish a no-smoking environment, and call on the Taiwanese
government to adopt similar measures.
"India has the world's largest film-making industry - Bollywood
- and the Indian government was very determined and effective in
enforcing a ban on images of people smoking in films. That is a good
example for Taiwan to follow," said Huang.
The eighth conference of the Asia Pacific Association for the
Control of Tobacco is currently being held in Taipei with more than 500
participants from 40 countries. India's anti-smoking initiatives was
one the widely discussed topics at the conference yesterday.
Huang noted that in the past a high percentage of Indian films
contained images of people smoking, and that many reports indicated
that the implicit messages behind those scenes, which linked smoking to
heroism and vogue, lured many teenagers to become smokers.
In 2003, the World Health Organization issued a warning to
India on the dangers of the frequency of smoking scenes, which it said
could significantly encourage the masses to smoke, according to Huang.
In August 2005, India became the first country in the world to
ban smoking scenes in film and television. Film and television programs
produced after August 2005 are not permitted to show scenes of smoking,
and a mosaic effect is required if there are any images of someone
lighting a cigarette. Furthermore, any films or television programs
produced prior to August 2005 that include smoking scenes must carry a
warning about the dangers of smoking.
"Ten years ago Taiwan was one of the leading countries in terms
of controling smoking, but in the last ten years the government has not
implemented any new policies to further curb the habit among the
country's population," said Huang.
"Thailand now prohibits tobacco companies from labeling their
products as "Mild" or "Light," but the Taiwanese government has not
considered such as idea," Huang added.
Huang explained that the label "mild" or "light" is an empty
claim that offers reassurance to consumers so that they will not think
of the dangers of smoking.
Lin Chin-li, an employee at the John Tung Foundation, noted
that in India 15 million people go to the movies every year, and prior
to 2005, 80 percent of the films contained scenes of smoking.
"Though smoking scenes were so popular in Indian films, the
Indian government remained resolute on banning such scenes," said Lin.
"Taiwan should do the same."
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