Harsher pictorial warnings on tobacco products from Dec. 1

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued a gazette notification on new pictorial warnings,which have come after prolonged delay. There are two existing warnings like scorpion and damaged lungs for cigarettes while a stricter one was to be depicted from December one,2010.

This was also for the first time that separate harsher pictorial warnings have been designated for smokeless tobacco like gutka. Earlier this week,Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had said warnings will be stronger in case of chewing tobacco as it has been found more harmful than smoking.

Azad had said the Global Adult Tobacco Survey India in 2009-2010 found out that chewing tobacco are more widely used and causing more mouth cancers.

“A set of four pictures each of depicting lung and oral cancer have been notified for smoking (cigarettes,bidis,cigars) and smokeless or chewing forms of tobacco products.

These will come into effect from December 1,” a Health Ministry official said.

For cigarettes and bidis,the ministry has notified pictures of blackened lungs and a side face depicting cancer affected bloodied mouth while for smokeless tobacco,pictures of bloodied mouth and gums have been selected.