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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