India: New health warnings on tobacco packaging

The Indian government on Monday notified two new sets of health warnings for all tobacco product packaging, amending regulations. from 2008 on cigarettes and other tobacco products (packaging and labeling). The new provisions will come into force on September 1, 2020, the Ministry of Health said in a press release published online. The new warnings will be valid for one year from the date of application. Two visuals will be affixed to the packaging according to an established template and will apply to all manufactured or imported tobacco products. After one year of circulation of packages with this first set of visuals, a new set will be proposed. - All tobacco products manufactured, imported or packaged on or after September 1, 2020, must display image-1, and those manufactured, imported or packaged on or after September 2021 must display image-2. - Each health warning must be specified in English, Hindi, and any other regional language. - Any person directly or indirectly engaged in the manufacture, production, supply, importation, or distribution of cigarettes or tobacco products must ensure that all tobacco product packaging bears the specific health warnings as prescribed. This decision comes in the context of the Covid 19 pandemic affecting the country. Health agencies, including the WHO, have warned of the increased risks for smokers of transmitting the virus and also of developing severe forms of the disease. Graphic health warnings are particularly effective in deterring young people from starting to smoke, but they also contribute to smoking cessation among smokers. ©Generation Without Tobacco ©National Committee Against Smoking |