Tobacco products flouting 85% display rule to be withdrawn

Tobacco products that do not comply with the new rule of having a pictorial warning covering 85% of the display area would be withdrawn from the market shelves from May 31 onwards.

This was mentioned in a letter written by the Joint Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, K C Samria, to the chief secretaries of all states and union territories on May 20.

The letter states, “It may further be ensured that tobacco products not compliant with the new rules are withdrawn from the market latest by 31st May, 2016, to be allowed for sale only by printing, pasting or affixing the new warnings thereon covering 85% of the principal display area, in terms of the new rules in effect from 1st April, 2016.”

The states have been asked to take necessary measures for the “strict enforcement” of the new rules with “immediate effect”.

The letter reads, “The Pictorial Warning Rules, 2014, have been enacted under the Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 and are enforceable from April 1st, 2016.”

It maybe recalled that in October 2014, the Union government had proposed that warnings cover 85% of the front and back sides of the packs.

Deadline extended
The increase in the size of the pictorial warnings was initially to come into effect from April 1, 2015. However, the deadline had been extended by the government due to opposition from the tobacco industry. The new rule has come into effect from April 1.
DH News Service