CHENNAI: From September 1, the tobacco product packages must for the first time have a ‘Quit Line’, which will contain a helpline number accompanied with a health warning message. The Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry on Tuesday specified the new notification regarding new pack warnings on tobacco products.Quit line is a national quit tobacco helpline number 18000112356 launched by Union Health Minister JP Nadda in 2016 on the occasion of the World No Tobacco Day. Counsellors will offer counselling and will guide addicts to quit tobacco.The new notification of the amended rules of Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Rules, 2018 of the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry is valid for two years.
While the helpline number must be printed in packages for two years, the warning messages shall be changed in the packages after one year.As per the notification, from September 1, 2018 to September 1, 2019, tobacco packages must have ‘Quit Today Call 1800-11-2356’ helpline number printed on them. It must appear in white font colour against a black background along with textual health warning “tobacco causes cancer”.From September 1, 2019 to September 1, 2020 tobacco product packages shall have the helpline number along with textual warning message “tobacco causes painful death”.
A few anti-tobacco activists are welcoming the new regulations. “This is a remarkable notification by the Central government. It will provide access to services for those who want to quit tobacco,” said S Cyril Alexander, state convener, Tamil Nadu People’s Forum for Tobacco Control.“The state governments now have to ensure that tobacco industry follows the new rules. They must ensure that the pack warnings are printed in vernacular languages of the respective states. They have to take steps for an effective enforcement of the new pack warning in the state,” Cyril said.