Tobacco products to carry new pictorial health warnings

From 1 April a fresh set of 85 per cent pictorial warnings against tobacco consumption on packages of tobacco products has come into force.

The new rules would require manufacturers to display graphic pictures of throat cancer on cigarette and bidi packets and pictures of mouth cancer on chewing tobacco packets.

The warnings have been notified by the union health ministry. The warnings would cover 85 per cent of the principal display area on all tobacco product packages that had been in use since 1 April, 2016.

Under the rules, over a rotation period of two years, tobacco product packages will be required to display a set of images warning consumers on the adverse health impact of tobacco.

All tobacco products manufactured on or after 1 April 2017, will need to display the new images.

''Violation... is a punishable offence with imprisonment or fine as prescribed in section 20 of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003,'' read  the health ministry notification.

Tobacco is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) that is responsible for 26 per cent of deaths in India. Tobacco is used by around 275 million of India's adult population in some form or the other.

Diseases attributable to tobacco can be prevented and 20 per cent of premature mortality related to CVDs occurred due to tobacco use.

The public notice on the health  ministry's website, said the government had notified the new health warnings on 15 October, 2014 and issued a notification dated 24 September 2015 for mandatory display of new health warnings covering 85 per cent of the principal display area on all tobacco products from  1 April, 2016.

The health ministry had launched mass campaigns to generate awareness among people regarding products that negatively impacted users' health.

In a recent letter it requested the ministry of railways not to allow makers of such products to be used as brands on trains and stations.