scholarly journals Tobacco imagery in entertainment media: evolution of tobacco-free movies and television programmes rules in India

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. e003639
Author(s):  
Amit Yadav ◽  
Stanton A Glantz

IntroductionTobacco imagery in films and television increased in India after it ended conventional tobacco advertising in 2004. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) introduced rules to eliminate this tobacco imagery in 2005 which took effect in amended form in 2012. This study presents the enablers and barriers in development and implementation of the regulations to curb tobacco imagery in films and television in India.MethodWe reviewed legislation, evolving regulations, parliamentary questions, judicial decisions, Bollywood trade publications and relevant news articles from 2003 to 2019 and interviewed key informants.ResultsBased on the WHO reports and civil society demands, the MoHFW issued a complete ban on tobacco imagery in movies and television programmes in 2005. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MoIB) joined the film industry in opposing the rules. A filmmaker challenged the rules in court, which ruled that they violated constitutional freedoms. On appeal by MoHFW, the Supreme Court allowed the rules to take effect. Continuing opposition by MoIB and the film industry weakened the rules and delayed implementation until 2012. As of 2020, rather than a ban, all films with tobacco imagery require strong editorial justification, 100 s of antitobacco messages produced by the MoHFW, and a static health warning at the bottom of screen during tobacco imagery display. In 2015, less than 48% of movies had tobacco imagery compared with 89% in 2005.ConclusionsAlthough, not a ban, MoHFW, supported by local advocates and WHO, issued regulations that resulted in a substantial drop in on-screen tobacco imagery and increased exposure to antitobacco messages. India’s experience informs WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control parties as they develop and implement policies to curb tobacco imagery in entertainment media.

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement 2) ◽  
pp. 134s-134s
Author(s):  
M. Coutinho Marques de Pinho ◽  
C. Abreu Perez ◽  
C. Galhardo Ferreira Vianna

Background and context: In April 2017, National Agency for Health Surveillance (Anvisa) launched a public consultation for the revision of Resolution Number 335/2003, on health warning labels. Aim: A group of representatives from civil society and tobacco control advocates in Brazil met in person and virtually to make contributions to the Anvisa´s proposal for new health warning label for tobacco products packages, considering the civil rights for participation and collaboration to Brazilian policies provided by public consultation. Strategy/Tactics: The advocates and researches consulted the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control of the World Health Organization and its Guideline for Article 11 (Packaging and Labeling of Tobacco Products) implementation adopted in 2008 based on scientific studies and successful experiences in other countries. In addition, international researchers and representatives of international institutions were also consulted to collect successful examples of health warnings in the world. Program/Policy process: In October 2017, the Anvisa Board of Directors at a public ordinary meeting approved the new health warnings and in December of the same year, published the new resolution about it. Outcomes: In a comparative analysis, even if all the recommendations made in the CP have not been complied with, the influence of the contributions of the group of tobacco control advocates to the final version of the warnings is evident. The main contributions considered by Anvisa were: 1) to increase the effectiveness of the health warnings using colored images instead of black and white images, 2) the use of yellow in the upper and lower tiers was also one of the points suggested by the group, and 3) the concept proposed by the group for side warnings was fully complied. What was learned: Civil society participation for the agency´s public policy implementation process is essential and has been possible through the regulatory agenda, public consultations and regular public meetings. However, as is expected, the regulated sector has been quite active. The group recognizes the importance of the Anvisa measure in proposing new health warnings, however, significant recommendations have not been adopted and it may interfere with the goals of the measure. Anvisa´s strategy of allowing the social participation is essential, in accordance with Universal Health System principles and must be maintained. Regarding to the next health warnings and messages on packages of tobacco products, it would be greater to consider higher frequency of updating the images and recover the scientific process of development of the 3rd round of health warnings labels coordinated by the National Institute of Cancer in 2007/2008.


Author(s):  
Kinga Polanska ◽  
Dorota Kaleta

The objective of this study was to evaluate compliance with the ban on tobacco and e-cigarette products advertising at point of sale (POS) before and after amendment of the Polish Tobacco Control Act. Data were collected, using an observation checklist, between March and October 2014 (n = 1450 POS) and between March and October 2019 (n = 1320 POS). Ban on tobacco and e-cigarette advertising at POS is commonly violated in Poland. In all POS, at least one form (including tobacco products display) of tobacco advertising was found in 2014 and in 2019. The most common types of tobacco advertising in 2014 were change and counter mats (61%, 42%), posters (38%) and illuminated banners (37%). In 2019, a decrease in promoting tobacco products in the form of mats (p ≤ 0.001), posters and boards (p < 0.001) but an increase in video screens were observed (from 8% in 2014 to 30% in 2019; p < 0.001). A significant increase in the presence of any e-cigarette ads, including e-cigarette displays, illuminated banners and video screens, was observed in 2019 as compared to 2014 (90% vs. 30%; 89% vs. 20%; 31% vs. 2%; 31% vs. 0.5%; p < 0.001). The minimum age or a no-sale-to-minors signs for tobacco and e-cigarettes were not sufficiently placed in POS to comply with the Act. Poor enforcement of the ban on tobacco and e-cigarette ads at POS provides the tobacco industry with an opportunity to promote their products using unlawful ways. There is a need to educate the public, retailers and civil society with respect to their legal responsibilities and roles.


2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 616-633 ◽  
Author(s):  
Björn Dressel ◽  
Tomoo Inoue

To what extent do informal networks shape the decisions of the Supreme Court of the Philippines? Though often raised in the Philippines, this question has never been studied empirically. To answer it, we constructed a set of social network variables to assess how informal ties, based on university connections and work affiliations, may have influenced the court’s decisions between 1986 and 2015 in 47 politically high-profile cases. Providing statistically significant evidence for the effects of political influence (presidential appointments) and hierarchical pressure (the vote of the Chief Justice) on related networks, our analysis suggests a continuing tension on the Supreme Court bench between professionalism and informality. Because the findings advance both theoretical and empirical understanding of larger issues at the intersection of courts and society throughout the region, we recommend more attention to the role of judicial networks, external to the courts as well as within them.


2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 13-28
Author(s):  
Dragutin Avramović

Following hypothesis of Andrew Watson, American professor of Psychiatry and Law, the author analyses certain psychological impacts on behavior of judges and examines the relationship between their idiosyncrasies and their judicial decisions. The survey encompasses the judges of Criminal Department of the Supreme Court of Cassation of the Republic of Serbia and, also, for comparative reasons, the judges of Criminal Department of the First Basic Court in Belgrade. Considering the main issues there is no great discrepancy between answers given by the judges of the Supreme Court and those of the Basic Court. Most responses of the Serbian judges deviate from Watson's conclusions, namely: they do not admit that they feel frustrated due to heavy caseloads, the significant majority of judges are reluctant to acknowledge their prejudices and influence of biases on their ruling, the significant majority of judges are not burdened with the idea of possible misuse of their discretion, they nearly unanimously deny that public opinion and media pressure affect their rulings, etc. Generally, the judges in Serbia are not willing to admit that they cannot always overcome their own subjectivities.


1969 ◽  
pp. 655
Author(s):  
Jennifer Koshan

This article examines the issue of disclosure and the legacy of Stinchcombe through a review of the history of disclosure and production in criminal sexual assault proceedings and an analysis of judicial decisions and legislative enactments in this context. The author presents a feminist analysis of the tension between those representing the rights of accused persons who seek to access a complainant's personal records and the voices of equality-seeking and anti-violence groups that challenge stereotypes about sexual violence against women. The author presents a comprehensive review of the louver court decisions in production applications since the Supreme Court of Canada decision in R. v. Mills. The author concludes that while Bill C-46 and Mills are positive developments, a great deal of discretion is left to trial judges to decide on the merits of production on a case-by-case basis, and such decisions are granted much deference by appellate courts. The exercise of discretion may encourage the application of stereotypes about women and sexual violence and is the reason an absolute ban on production is preferred by women's and anti- violence groups.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 1179173X2110642
Author(s):  
Christopher M. Seitz ◽  
Kenneth D. Ward ◽  
Zubair Kabir

Background The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Health Warnings Database is an online, publicly available resource created for countries to upload and share pictorial health warnings for tobacco packaging. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the extent to which the database is used by countries for the sharing of pictorial warnings. Methods The study’s sample included parties to the FCTC who required graphic health warning labels on cigarette packaging from. Those countries were categorized as having a low, middle, and high Socio-Demographic Index (SDI). The Health Warnings Database was then analyzed for those countries’ unique pictorial images, as well as the number of pictorials that were shared between countries. Results Of the 110 countries that required pictorial warnings on cigarette packaging, only 53 (48%) voluntarily contributed pictorials to the database, with most of those (53%) being high SDI-level countries. There were 342 unique pictorials on the database, with 62 images posted by seven countries that were used by 13 other countries. Conclusion While sharing was evident from the database, there remains a need for more countries to upload the pictorials to the database. There is also a need to expand the database to include alternative tobacco products, such as waterpipe tobacco and e-cigarettes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (70) ◽  
pp. 33-49
Author(s):  
Sebastian Czechowicz

The article is devoted to determine the authority competent to carry out the execution of the obligation to vaccinate, as well as the authority competent to apply for punishment of those who persistently evade preventive vaccinations on the basis of the Code of Misdemeanours in Poland. After analysing the competencies of the public administration bodies and comparing them with the judicial decisions of the administrative courts and the Supreme Court issued in cases involving mandatory preventive vaccination, which present an inconsistent line of jurisprudence, the author concludes that the enforcement body is the province governor. However, it is necessary to postulate legislative changes, primarily in the area of the possible transfer of competencies from the province governor to the State Sanitary Inspection.


Author(s):  
JUAN IGARTUA SALAVERRIA

Una vez más aparecen las ambivalencias que minan la eficacia de la doctrina que, con bastantes quiebros (esa es la verdad), viene sentando el TS en torno a a motivación de los nombramientos discrecionales. En esta ocasión, no sólo se evidencia un distinto entendimiento de aquélla en resoluciones (administrativas) del CGPJ y (judiciales) de la Sala 3.ª sino ¿lo que es peor¿ en el propio seno de esta última. Berriz ere elkarren aurka dauden interpretazioak ageri dira, izendapen diskrezionalen motibazioaren inguruan Auzitegi Gorena ezartzen ari den dotrinaren eraginkortasunaren kaltetan; egia izanik ere, dotrina ezarri, gorabehera askorekin ezartzen ari dela. Oraingoan, agerikoa da interpretazio desberdinak egiten direla Botere Judizialaren Kontseilu Nagusiaren administrazio-ebazpenen eta Hirugarren Aretoaren ebazpen judizialen bitartez. Baina, are okerrago, azken aretoaren baitan ere interpretazio ezberdinak egiten dira, eta hori are txarragoa da. Once again we see the ambivalences that undermine the efficacy of the doctrine that, with quite a lot of swayings (that is true) has been established by the Supreme Court regarding the reasoning of discretional appointments. This time, not only a different understanding to the (administrative) decisions by the CGPJ and the (judicial) decisions by the Third Chamber are seen but also ¿what is worse¿ within the same latter chamber.


2018 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 393-421
Author(s):  
Radhika Jagtap

There is some significance attached to the role that local-level collective action plays in reimagining global structures like international law. A theoretical assessment of this idea could be done through a merger between the utopian analysis of international law and critical approaches to the discipline which now identify categories like social movements as contemporary modes of transformation. Social movements like the ‘Save Niyamgiri’ movement in India could be seen as a local level catalyst for rethinking, restructuring, and resisting mainstream international law. The paper intends to place the Dongria peoples’ narratives as a utopia of resistance. This utopia is a collective of epistemologies that emanate from their imagination and spirituality, making critical statements on the global politics that favour dystopian versions of domestic and international law. The paper looks into the way the Dongria peoples’ imagination was received and recognised by institutions including the Supreme Court of India and other civil society actors which led to the successful internationalisation of the movement. It develops a sense of the need for international law to look into the local mobilisations surrounding anti-mining resistance and politics of forest rights and concludes with the contention that a transformation of international law also means the redefining of the human condition.


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