After differing viewpoints, a consensus has been reached between Ministries of Information and Broadcasting and Health on the issue of banning smoking scenes in films and on television.
This was stated by Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss at a function to mark the 'World No Tobacco Day' in New Delhi on Wednesday.
"In one or two months, we will be informing the court what are the arrangements we have made," he said hoping that in the next few months there would be restrictions on movies and television on the depiction of smoking scenes.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi had earlier questioned the ban saying how could a film show a character like former British Premier Winston Churchil without a cigar.
On the depiction of smoking scenes in old moves, he said they would have a warning and an advisory on the screen.
A staunch opponent of smoking, Ramadoss said the Government would make mandatory in six months that all tobacco products should carry pictorial warning.
All tobacco products packages would have to devote 50 per cent space for carrying the pictorial warning such cancer patients and pregnant women, he said.
Observing that tobacco was the only industry that killed its consumers, Ramadoss said his ministry has also moved a Cabinet note on the trade and taxation policy of tobacco in order to have wider deliberation on the issue.
{{/usCountry}}Observing that tobacco was the only industry that killed its consumers, Ramadoss said his ministry has also moved a Cabinet note on the trade and taxation policy of tobacco in order to have wider deliberation on the issue.
{{/usCountry}}One of the suggestions in the Cabinet note was gradual withdrawal of subsidy on tobacco products, he said adding efforts were also on to propagate medicine plants.
Ramadoss said a National Authority would come into force which would monitor and implement the law. It would have its own laboratory for testing, he said.