Cola or Tobacco: what must be banned? BBS questions the government

As a sideline to the ongoing controversy in India on the issue of putting a ban on the sale of aerated cola drinks, Burning Brain Society, an NGO has questioned the intentions and rational of the Indian parliamentarians in demanding such a ban.

In a memorandum delivered to the Indian Prime Minister and the Health Minster, Burning Brain Society has questioned the government if it had any scientific evidence that Cola consumption has resulted in even one death over the last 50 years. Comparing it with tobacco the NGO raised the point that it was well known that tobacco kills nearly one million people in India every year and yet there was no talk in the parliament on banning tobacco. BBS pointed out that if government could think of banning Cola without any known fatalities associated with cola consumption then why can’t the government initiate a plan to ban tobacco which is known to cause millions of deaths?

Hemant Goswami, the chairperson of BBS alleged that as per the audited balance sheet of one of the biggest tobacco manufacturer, most of the parliamentarians were receiving money from the tobacco industry in the name of political donation and this seemed to be a reason for their double standards on public health. Because of such financial interests, the politicians have a very soft corner for the number one public health enemy tobacco but have a hard stand on the not so contributing soft drink industry.

Hemant mentioned that according to WHO statistics, even if the presently planned tobacco control initiatives are a success still in this century over a billion people (Conservative estimate) will die globally because of tobacco use and nearly one fifth of them will be Indians. “Are these statistics not enough for the Indian government to chalk an eradication plan for tobacco instead of wasting its energy on the Cola controversy,” Goswami questioned.

The memorandum mentions that one of the options for eliminating tobacco over the next 20 to 30 years was by taking complete control of the tobacco industry in public interest and then working on a 5-10% de-growth every year. Such a strategic plan would need careful planning and a proper legislation, the BBS proposal read.