India: New health warnings on cigarette packs

The Indian government has adopted new health warnings for all tobacco product packages by amending its regulations governing cigarettes and other tobacco products..(Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act - COTPA - Section 8 - Packaging and Labeling). These new rules will apply from December 1, 2022[1].

All tobacco products manufactured, imported or packaged on or after December 1, 2022, will be required to display an image and the following text health warning: “ Tobacco causes death painful ". As for those manufactured from December 1, 2023, they will have to display another image accompanied by the health warning " tobacco users die younger ".

These new health warnings will also be accompanied by the following statement: "Quit Today Call 1800-11-2356".(Stop today, call 1800-11-2356) placed at the bottom of the image. All tobacco products, whether smoked or not, must carry all of this information.

There WHO Framework Convention The United Nations Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC - Article 11) and the Indian legislation (COTPA) recommend pictorial health warnings as a demand reduction strategy for all tobacco products. These health warnings are the most direct means of communicating and changing behavior. It is therefore important to regularly modify these health warnings to maintain their relevance and effectiveness.

The burden of tobacco consumption in India

One-third of Indian adults aged 18-69 (42.1% of men, 14.1% of women) use tobacco products, 28% of whom use them daily. In 2021, in India, the share of cancers due to tobacco (1/3 and continuing to increase) represents approximately one in two cancers in men and 17 in women.

The most common of these cancers in men are those of the mouth (24.4 %), then of the lung (22.4 %) and of the tongue (16.6 %). In women: those of the mouth (26.4 %), of the lung (22.9 %) and of the esophagus (20.8 %). Nearly half of these cancers occur after the age of 60 in both men and women. This prevalence of these different cancer locations is explained by the importance in India of the consumption of tobacco products in oral form.

India's efforts in tobacco control

India continues to strengthen its fight against tobacco use, which is reflected in a substantial improvement in the knowledge, attitude and perception of the harmful effects of tobacco among its population.

In 2020, the Indian government proposed amendments to improve its COTPA Act. These aim to extend the ban on the sale of tobacco products to those under 21 and to strengthen penalties for non-compliance with this ban. In addition, the law provides for increased penalties for violations relating to the ban on all direct and indirect advertising of tobacco products on the internet and social networks.

Keywords: India, health warnings, tobacco control, cancers

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[1] Tobacco packs to get new health warning from December 1, Lagatar News, published July 29, 2022, accessed August 2, 2022