BHUBANESWAR: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought for an action taken report from different ministries of the Centre in connection with impending health hazards caused by soft and cold drinks.
Acting on a petition filed by activist Radhakanta Tripathy, the apex human rights panel has asked the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and CEO of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India to submit reports within four weeks.
The petitioner had highlighted the issues concerning side effects of soft drinks and its likely damage to the human body. He had sought for a regulatory mechanism for creating awareness and protection of the right to health. “There is unregulated sale of soft drinks in all states and UTs on a regular basis, with wide publicity of the same through all available modes of transmission/communication, including advertisements. The total focus is to increase the sale and profit, without any message to the people on the utility of the products and their benefits to the human body by any accredited lab or specialists,” Tripathy contended.
Several researches on the health impacts of soft drinks indicated health risks like diabetes, obesity and metabolic syndrome besides causing damages to organs. But unlike cigarette packets, which contain warnings, no bottle of soft drink contains any such message of caution and care on its consumption, he said. The NHRC has been urged to constitute a standing committee for examination of the side effects of cold drinks.