An opportunity media can not afford to miss in order to capture how the health of the citizens are undermined at the cost of industry interest and Corporate Profit. Mr. Bejon Misra, the leading consumer activist of India will meet the friends from the media to expose the tobacco industry influence on public health policies in India. Rs. 40,000 cores spent every year on treating tobacco related diseases in India & Rs. 2,000 cores a year loss of revenue to the country’s coffers as a result of the rampant trade in contraband in cigarettes.

The scientific evidence of the health risks from exposure to second-hand smoke in the Industry or any workplace has been increasing over the years. Second-hand smoke causes cancer, heart disease and many other illnesses. This has been verified by various International Agencies for research on cancer including the World Health Organisation. The number of cancer death caused by second-hand smoke is higher than the total number of cancer death caused by asbestos, pesticides etc. This means there is an urgent need of creating awareness amongst all the stakeholders to have a smoke-free workplace for all the employees.

Mr. Bejon Misra, Executive Director of Voluntary Organisation In Interest of Consumer Education (VOICE) was the first Consumer Organisation in India, who in the year 1984, filed a legal suit against ITC Limited, a subsidiary of British American Tobacco Co. (BAT) in India, for promoting misleading claims to attract married young couples through Made For Each Other Contests. He also participated at the international public hearing on tobacco at Geneva in 2000 organized by WHO & attended various intergovernmental negotiations on FCTC apart from WHO executive board meetings as an observer on behalf of Consumers international from the year 2000 to 2005. The most recent achievement was in the recent Finance Act 2007, where VOICE was able to convince the Government to withdraw tax benefits to Tobacco & Pan Masala products and are on the verge of creating a tobacco fund from enriched tax evasion from earlier incentives given by the Government in form of tax concessions.