| Summary: | Background and challenges to implementation
JTI
and DTI jointly undertake promotional activities to market Winston cigarettes
newly. Students
are involved in marketing this brand. Everywhere these students make huge
publicity among public by distributing Winston cigarettes including gift items
such as match lights, bags, special boxes of cigarettes, umbrellas, pen drives,
caps, T-shirts, mugs, etc. with Winston's logo. Due to gift distribution, new
smokers are being created among the youth. In accordance with TC
Act, distribution of gifts is a punishable offense. But tobacco companies do
these activities in a way that they cannot be easily caught for tricky
activities.
Intervention or response
These
criminal activities were informed to officials and Tobacco Control Task Force.
As
company's promotional programs were running, magistrates operated several
mobile courts accompanied by police and alert shopkeepers with financial fines
and destroy fronts of flee shops with Winston brand logo. Besides,
the easy to carrying shops and big umbrellas containing the brand logo were
seized and dumped to remove it. Again, companies have lent money to vendors to
pay for the fine. Finally, the depots are identified for stopping these
initiatives of companies and duly notified to the mobile court operating
magistrates. Finally all promotional activities are seized. Currently, all such
activities are closed.
Results and lessons learnt
In
collecting information about illegal activities of marketing of Winston
Cigarette produced by JTI, the authority is properly informed. As
a result, it has been possible to play a role by imposing legal penalties and
punishment. It is possible to control the barriers that Company produces
directly and indirectly through promotional activities.
Conclusions and key recommendations
Tobacco
Companies directly and indirectly trick to broaden the use of tobacco can be
stopped to protect public health with the coordination of GO-NGO.
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