The government has buckled under pressure exerted by the bidi industry regarding pictorial warnings on tobacco products prescribed under the Control of Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), the centre has admitted.

In its reply to a query filed under the Right to Information Act the centre admitted that due to the pressure exerted by the bidi industry and other interested parties, the group of ministers (GoM) constituted to look into the matter had recommended that the graphic pictorial warnings to be displayed on the tobacco products be watered down from stronger evidence-based to weaker warnings.

Pictorial warnings on tobacco products are intended to increase consumer knowledge of the deadly health effects of tobacco consumption, to encourage cessation and to discourage uptake.

In India they also break the linguistic and cultural barrier, in addition to informing the illiterate population (a large proportion of this segment smokes bidis) about the harmful effects of tobacco use.

The GoM, constituted to look into the issue, decided on 24 November 2008 to defer the implementation of pictorial warning from 30 November to 31 May 2009.
With this, the GoM conveniently deferred the decision in favour of the tobacco companies till the upcoming parliamentary elections are over.

A case is currently underway in the Supreme Court regarding pictorial warnings on tobacco products as well as on packaging and labelling rules. The petitioner, 'Health for Millions' has prayed the court to direct the government to instruct tobacco manufacturing and packaging companies to display pictorial warnings on tobacco products.

The petitioner has also asked for the setting up of appropriate laboratory facilities to determine tar and nicotine level in brands that are currently available in the market as it is only when there are testing facilities that the tobacco manufacturers and packagers can be asked to provide full and complete information regarding tar and nicotine content on the package of the tobacco products.

The case, in which the Union of India and two leading tobacco companies have been named as respondents, is due to come up for hearing later in January.

Pictorial warnings are an effective tool internationally to combat tobacco addiction. Around 17 countries including Brazil, Australia, Canada, Chile, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Uruguay, Venezuela and a number of other developed nations have successfully introduced picture-based warnings and many of them have gorier images on the packs.

In a survey in Brazil, three months after the introduction of the new picture warnings in April 2002, 73 per cent of smokers approved of them, 54 per cent had changed their opinion on the health consequences of smoking and 67 per cent said that the new health warnings made them want to quit the habit.

Similar is the experience of countries like Canada and Australia. The evidence is unequivocal that warning labels improve public health.

According to Alok Mukhopadhyay, chief executive, Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI), says, ''It is a matter of great shame that the guardians of the largest democracy in the world decide to put aside the critical health concerns of Indian citizens to boost the health and profits of the tobacco industry, particularly the bidi sector.''

The bidi industry, which is talking about job losses for its workers if pictorial warnings are implemented, does not pay minimum wages, is alleged to exploit women and children and constantly expose workers to hazardous substances, flouting labour laws while spreading illnesses and death.

According to Bhavna B Mukhopadhyay, senior director, VHAI, ''The government should set up strong and transparent mechanisms at the highest levels to prevent industry interference in the implementation of tobacco control measures and policy making processes.''

Since the tobacco industry sells a product that critics say kills one million people annually in India, the industry's interests will always be in conflict with the nation's public health and economic aspirations.

Meanwhile in a related development, the Delhi High Court on 5 January issued instructions to manufacturers of tobacco products to specify quantity of ingredients by 31 August 2009 on the packages of tobacco products.