Karnataka - Bangalore   

Pictorial warning on tobacco products made mandatory

BANGALORE: Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Anbumani Ramadoss said on Saturday that the Centre on Friday issued a notification making it mandatory for using pictorial warnings on cigarettes, beedis and other tobacco products.

Dr. Ramadoss told presspersons here on the sidelines of the 14th convocation of the National Board of Examination that a three-month deadline would be given to the tobacco products manufacturing companies to comply with the order. Stringent action would be taken against those who failed to use pictorial warnings, he said.

A Group of Ministers (GoM) on February 26 had recommended using pictorial warnings on cigarette, beedi and tobacco product packs, but it had not set any time-frame for its implementation.

Chaired by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, the GoM decided to tone down the nature of pictures and reduce the size of warnings from 50 to 30 or 40 per cent of the pack size.

The Health Ministry had proposed to display “skull and crossbones” symbol beside the picture, showing disease caused by the ill-effects of tobacco, on the packets of all products. The warning was approved by a parliamentary sub-committee in 2003, and was to have come into effect in early 2006. But it was kept in abeyance following opposition from the beedi industry.

Mr. Ramadoss lauded the Karnataka Medical Council (KMC) for warning medical establishments under it not to resort to advertising and publicity.

“I read about this in a Chennai newspaper. It is a move which is really commendable and other States should follow suit. We who are in the medical profession must understand that this profession is not business, but involves service of the highest order,” the Union Minister said.

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