85% of cigarette pack to carry warning now

NEW DELHI: In a major step towards tobacco cessation, the government of India on Wednesday announced new pictorial warnings for cigarette packs and other tobacco products. According to the new guidelines, effective from April next year, 85% of space on cigarette packs and other tobacco products in India will have to be mandatorily covered with graphic and text warnings about adverse health effects, becoming the country with the highest element of warning on packages.

Of the 85% space, 60% will be devoted to pictoral warnings while 25% will be covered by textual warnings. At present, the space covered by the warning is 40%, said senior officials in the health ministry.

"We have issued a notification that will make it mandatory for tobacco companies to devote 85% space on the cigarette packs or any other tobacco products for pictoral and textual warnings against the perils of tobacco," said Harsh Vardhan, the health minister.

With the new measure, India will now rank first in the list of 198 countries that warn smokers about the hazards of smoking through graphic pictures on cigarette packages.

Thailand also has 85% of space on cigarette packs and other tobacco products covered with warnings. In Australia, it is 82.5% and in Uruguay, it 80%.

"Tobacco means only death. I have seen this closely, effects of tobacco as an ENT surgeon," said Vardhan, who has been a practising doctor.

Vandana Shah, director, south Asia programs for Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, said it's a bold move by the government and shows India's commitment to discouraging its youth from starting to smoke and motivating other smokers to quit.

The Indian government is also putting greater focus on smokeless tobacco. According to C K Mishra, additional secretary, health ministry, they raised the issue in the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the world's first public health treaty, being held in Moscow. "Till now, the global targets have been mainly aimed at cigarettes. I have urged the WHO and other partners of the FCTC to target the smokeless tobacco products as they account for nearly 90% of the total tobacco consumptions and lead to deaths," he said.

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