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Onscreen smoking ban impractical: Azad

On World No Tobacco Day, when the order that all tobacco products should carry graphic pictorial warnings came into effect, the health minister endorsed smoking in movies.

Updated on: Jun 01, 2009 1:11 AM IST
Hindustan Times | By , New Delhi
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On World No Tobacco Day, when the order that all tobacco products should carry graphic pictorial warnings came into effect, the health minister endorsed smoking in movies.

HT Image
HT Image

“Film is entertainment, which is also related to reality. These things happen in society,” Ghulam Nabi Azad said on Sunday. “We cannot do anything that is not practical.”

The new pack may take three more weeks to hit the city's vendors, but curious smokers have already started making enquiries.

And while pan shops owners believe the new step will not deter smokers, chain smokers like Dinesh Kapoor feel with the graphic images, the message will hit home. “I will not be comfortable carrying these packs home with such scary pictures. They could have a negative impact on my six-year-old son,” he said.

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