Cigarette packs to carry specified images warning users
21 Aug 2019
The ministry of health and family welfare has notified new sets of specified health warnings for all tobacco product packs and has notified two images to be printed on the packets.
The ministry has made an amendment in the Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labeling) Rules, 2008 vide GSR 331(E) dated 3 April 2018.
The `Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labeling) Second Amendment Rules, 2018’ are applicable from 1 September 2018, the ministry stated in a release.
Two images were notified vide the above notification with a clause that date of coming into effect of the second image (image 2) of specified health warning, shall be for all tobacco products manufactured or imported after the completion of twelve months from the date of commencement of first image (image 1).
Image-1 of the said notification came into effect from 1 September 2018 and as such all tobacco products manufactured or packaged or imported on or after 1 September 2019 shall display Image-2.
The ministry has also notified the telephone Quit-line number “QUIT TODAY CALL 1800-11-2356” as part of the health warning. This helps in creating awareness among tobacco users, and gives them access to counseling services to effect behavior change. There shall be one common specified health warning for both smoking and smokeless forms of tobacco products.
As per the recent second round of Global Adult Tobacco Survey [GATS -2, 2016-17] for age group 15 years and above, 61.9 per cent of current cigarette smokers, 53.8 per cent of current bidi smokers and 46.2 per cent of current smokeless tobacco users thought about quitting because of warning label on packets of cigarette, bidi and smokeless tobacco.
The said notification along with printable version of warning, is already available on the ministry’s website, which has already been shared in all regional languages vide e-mail as requested by the stakeholders.