Chronic Health Conditions | Page 9 of 10 | Institute of Public Health Bengaluru
Deciphering an epidemic of epic proportion: the role of state and tobacco industry in tobacco control in post-liberalized India (1990-2017)

Deciphering an epidemic of epic proportion: the role of state and tobacco industry in tobacco control in post-liberalized India (1990-2017)

In this seminar, Upendra Bhojani will present an overview of the research he aims to conduct as part of the India Alliance fellowship for the next 5 years. The purpose is to seek comments/suggestions/critique for refining the proposal. About 3500 Indians die every day due to tobacco-attributable illnesses. Despite several regulatory measures, there has been a marginal decline in tobacco use in the last two decades. In fact, since 1990s, tobacco production and sales have increased. Therefore, this research aims to understand the role played by the state policies (related to tobacco) and the tobacco industry actions during 1990-2017. I will conduct the study in three phases. In Phase-1, I will map public policies related to tobacco in this period. In will use quantitative data to explore associations between the tobacco policies and the trends in tobacco production and consumption. In phase-2 I will use qualitative data to understand how the tobacco industry actors influence tobacco policies in India. How do governments in India respond to the industry influence as well as their own varying (often conflicting) interests in tobacco? Based on these insights, in the phase-3, I will select ten Indian states: five positive (significant decline in tobacco prevalence over time) and five negative (status quo or increase in tobacco prevalence) cases. I will use qualitative comparative analysis to understand the combinations of measures (policies, implementation, tobacco industry) that best explain a significant reduction in tobacco use prevalence.

Speaker

Upendra Bhojani

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Affiliation

IPH Staff

Date

09-August-2018

Time

4.00 pm – 5.00 pm

Venue

Institute of Public Health, Bengaluru
#250, 2nd C Main, 2nd C Cross,
Girinagar Ist  Phase,
Bengaluru – 560085

Tobacco Control Project

Tobacco Control Project

Understanding public policy around tobacco use is required to understand the conflicts of interests of state and non-state actors in India. My work revolved around mapping concerns on tobacco expressed as debates by the parliamentary elected representatives by sourcing the official archives of loksabha and rajyasabha.

Speaker

Chaitra

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Affiliation

IPH Intern

Date

01-August-2018

Time

4.00 pm – 5.00 pm

Venue

Institute of Public Health, Bengaluru
#250, 2nd C Main, 2nd C Cross,
Girinagar Ist  Phase,
Bengaluru – 560085

Internship: Krishna Subedi

Internship: Krishna Subedi

Tobacco cessation counselling in NIMHANS, field visits to the primary health care center and the qualitative data analysis of the interest of people’s representatives in the Lok Sabha on tobacco and tobacco related products in India

Speaker

Dr.Krishna Subedi

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Affiliation

IPH Intern

Date

13-April-2018

Time

12.00 pm – 1.00 pm

Venue

Institute of Public health #250, 2nd C Main, 2nd C Cross, Girinagar Ist  Phase, Bengaluru – 560085
Regional road safety meeting

Regional road safety meeting

CUTS International in partnership with Centre for Environment & Development (CED) organized a Regional Meeting on ‘Road safety – Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Bill 2017 & Way Forward’ in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala on July 14, 2017. Adv. Mathew T. Thomas (Minister for Water Resources, Govt. of Kerala and former Minister for Transport), inaugurated the meeting
About 100 participants, including delegates from 7 states, attended the workshop. Pragati Hebbar of Institute of Public Health participated in the meeting. 
Visit to Durham University

Visit to Durham University

Durham

As part of his UK visit, Upendra Bhojani of the Institute of Public Health (Bengaluru) visited the Durham University. Prof. Andrew Russell at the Department of Anthropology (Durham University), who has been doing pioneering work in area of tobacco control, facilitated this visit. They exchanged ideas for collaborative work in area of tobacco control including contributions of arts and humanities in enhancing tobacco control. Upendra engaged with collaborators of the ‘life of breath’ project and the Director (Prof. Jane Macnaughton) of the Centre for Medical Humanities at the Durham University.

World No Tobacco Day 2017

The Consortium for Tobacco Free Karnataka (a group of individuals and organizations working towards tobacco free Karnataka) in collaboration with the state (Karnataka State Anti Tobacco Cell) and municipal (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Palike) governments organized events at the Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute to commemorate the World No Tobacco Day (May 31, 2017).

The day witnessed various events including

  • a rally to raise awareness on tobacco harms,
  • launch of a video raising awareness on substance abuse,
  • motivational speeches by senior leaders,
  • a panel discussion and
  • an orientation program for health inspectors of the Bengaluru municipal corporation.

Upendra Bhojani of the Institute of Public Health participated as a speaker in the panel discussion on how we could achieve tobacco free Bengaluru.