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New tobacco warnings may take a month

KOLKATA: According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare notification, all packaging of tobacco products must carry pictorial warnings with effect from Sunday, but experts here say it may take a month for them to actually appear on the shelves.

“Strictly according to the law, you should not have any of the old stock being sold from May 31 itself, but at least we can be assured that the manufacturing of the old packaging will stop,” Dr. S. Mittal, senior consultant for the WHO Tobacco Free Initiative in West Bengal, said on Sunday.

The tobacco industry has stated that it has inventory to clear, which may take about a month, but if any packet is manufactured after May 31 without the pictorial warning, both the manufacturer and seller would be liable for prosecution, Dr. Mittal added.

With regard to the implementation of the notification, Dr. Mittal said the Health Department would carry out an awareness campaign for the police, excise and customs officials, who are responsible for enforcing it. She also hoped that the State’s 20-member task force, which has been formed to implement the ban on smoking in public places, would provide their inputs.

To raise awareness about the pictorial warnings, the State Tobacco Control Cell organised a poster-making competition for students of 500 schools in the city on the theme of health warnings on tobacco products on Sunday.

“We had a great response from the children, which is important because the pictorial warnings are specially targeted towards the youth,” said Sutapa Biswas, executive director, Cancer Foundation of India, co-organisers of the event.

“We are hopeful that the warnings will help reduce the consumption of tobacco, especially among the youth, but there is a vast unorganised sector that where packaging is not necessarily involved. In India bidis, khaini, and so on, are sold loose which won’t come under the notification. However, it is still a big step,” Ms. Biswas added.

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