NEW DELHI: All tobacco products manufactured, imported, or packaged before December 1 must display a new image with the textual health warning "tobacco causes painful death", the Union Health Ministry said Friday.
The ministry said the government had notified new sets of specified health warnings for all tobacco product packs by amending the Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Rules, 2008 on July 21, 2022, which will be applicable from December 1, 2022.
The ministry released two images – both displaying a man with substantial cancerous growth on his mouth due to tobacco use – and two textual warnings.
While the first one, which will be displayed from December 1, 2022, will have the warning 'Tobacco causes painful death'. This will be valid for one year.
The second image and warning – tobacco users due younger - will be displayed in all tobacco products manufactured, imported, or packaged on or after December 1, 2023.
“Any person engaged directly or indirectly in the manufacture, production, supply, import or distribution of cigarettes or any tobacco products shall ensure that all tobacco product packages shall have the specified health warnings exactly as prescribed,” the health ministry said in a statement.
“Violation of the provision mentioned above is a punishable offence with imprisonment or fine as prescribed in Section 20 of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003,” it added.
The ministry said that the notification along with the soft or printable version of the specified health warnings in 19 languages will be available on the official websites —www.mohfw.gov.in and ntcp.nhp.gov.in.
Violation of the guidelines is a punishable offence with imprisonment or fine as prescribed in Section 20 of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003, the government said.
Tobacco-related cancers constitute the highest-burden among all types of diseases in India. As many as 27 per cent of cancer cases were caused due to tobacco consumption, according to a new report released by the National Cancer Registry of India (NCRI) on August 18, 2020.