Centre asks states to be strict on tobacco ads

The central government has sent an advisory to states reminding them to follow rules in restricting advertisement of cigarette and other tobacco products inside shops selling them.

The advisory asked state governments to implement rules, which stipulates a particular size for tobacco advertising boards inside shop without any illumination, one-third of which will carry a warning message in local language.

Even though the rules were framed in 2005, the advisory was repeated on Wednesday following a Supreme Court directive earlier this month to vacate a stay given by Bombay High Court in 2006 on these rules.  

Among other things, it gave specifications for advertisement at the entrance of or inside of a shop or warehouse (point of sale) selling tobacco products. In a letter to Chief Secretaries in the state, Kesav Desiraju, a special secretary in the union health ministry said size of these display boards should not exceed 60 cm x 45 cm, one third of which will contain an warning message prominently either saying tobacco causes cancer or tobacco kills.'