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Pictorial warnings for all tobacco products

NEW DELHI: The Centre on Wednesday said no tobacco product was exempted from the pictorial warnings though the decision regarding the date of implementation of the revised rules in this regard is still pending as the matter is sub judice.

Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Anbumani Ramadoss told the Lok Sabha during question hour that the Shimla High Court would decide on the contempt petition on March 24, following which a date for the implementation of the rules would be decided.

The Minister said the revised rules and pictorial warnings were notified by the Centre on March 16 following the decision of the meeting of Group of Ministers.

Section 8 of the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act 2003 provides for specified warnings on every package of cigarettes or any tobacco products which are legible, prominent and conspicuous in size and colour.

The Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Rules, 2006 were notified on July 5, 2006 and the provisions came into effect on February 1 the next year.

An amendment to the Act and rules was carried out in September 2007 whereby the mandatory depiction of skull and bone was made optional and the rules revised accordingly, Dr. Ramadoss said.

The revised rules notified on March 16 make it mandatory that all smoking tobacco products should carry a picture of lungs affected by smoking and an X-ray plate while non-smoking tobacco products will have to carry a scorpion to suggest it caused cancer.

The pictorial labels should be spread over 40 per cent area of the packet.

The pictures were identified and finalised by the Union Health and Family and the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministries.

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