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NEW DELHI, INDIA, June 2, 2003: Nicotine-addicted MPs may soon be confined to a smokers’ den in Parliament as part of a national drive against public smoking. A report quoted Health Minister Sushma Swaraj as saying that her ministry was planning to declare the upper and lower houses, main lobby and the Central Hall used for joint sessions as smoke free. “We have proposed to construct small chambers for smokers so that they can remain in their chambers and continue harming themselves and not others,” Swaraj was quoted as saying. India accounts for a third of the world’s smoking-related deaths. A World Health Organization report released three months ago accused Indian film stars of enticing teenagers to light up and urged the industry either to kick the habit or issue warnings. In February, the Cabinet approved legislation banning tobacco advertisements and seeking to regulate production and sale of tobacco products. The Anti-Tobacco Act was endorsed by Parliament and on May 30, President Abdul Kalam signed it into law. One of the main objectives of the law is to protect adolescents and passive smokers from the hazards of smoking. Other reports quoted Swaraj as saying the act would soon be implemented in Parliament. “If we have the consent to do this, we will not let anyone smoke in the corridors of Parliament,” Swaraj said. HPI adds: The government might want to investigate whether the Indian film stars are being paid for smoking in movies. Americans were astounded to learn in the midst of the huge tobacco lawsuits in this country that Sylvester Stallone (“Rocky”) had been paid US$500,000 to use Brown and Williamson Tobacco Corporation products in his next five films from 1983. You can read the original court document by clicking here and scrolling down. And you can learn more about the ways American movies are used to promote smoking by clicking here.

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