Fans Of Superstar Rajinikanth Gears Up To Stop Smoking

Soon after the Indian filmstar Rajinikanth advised his fans to quit smoking, a large number of his supporters started burning cigarette packets throughout the state of Tamil Nadu.  

According to news sources, actor addressed his fans on his 62^nd birthday and urged them to stop smoking.   He told them that he used to smoke a lot and this took a toll on his health. Smoking damaged his lungs as well as his kidneys and he had to undergo treatment in Singapore. The actor also informed his fans that he started on medications to treat his health difficulties and as a result, he became weak.  Speaking to his fans, Rajinikanth told them that smoking had made him suffer from a range of health problems and hence he was asking them to quit smoking at the earliest.

Rajinikanth`s words prompted his fans to they started burning cigarette containers across Tamil Nadu.

Referring to Rajinikanth, one of his fans states that whatever he says is scared to all of them. The fan also adds that from now onwards they will not smoke a cigarette ever in their lives.

Source: http://www.bollywoodlife.com/, Date: 18^th December 2012

Cigarette Packets Sold In India Are Lacking In Proper Graphic Warnings

According to a recent disclosure, a survey was conducted to find out pictorial warning size on cigarette packets sold in several countries as well as fulfilment of needs for graphic warnings on cigarette packets. However, as the review came to an end, it was strikingly revealed that India occupies123rd position among the 198 nations studied in the survey. The study results appeared in the “Cigarette Package Health Warnings: International Status Report” and this report was made public at a conference of WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). Thus the study report makes it evident that Indian ranks low among all countries participating in the survey. 

New sources reveal that graphic warnings are included in less than 40% of display area of cigarette packets sold in India. 

India has signed the FCTC treaty and international instructions under FCTC have made it mandatory for countries to incorporate large-sized pictorial warnings on cigarette packets. According to the FCTC guidelines, the graphic warnings are to be included on both front as well as back sides of cigarette packets and these packets should also have revolving pictorial warnings. 

Source: The Times of India, dated 16th November 2012