Can’t quit smoking? Babies on your pack to make you rethink

The mandatory warnings, arrived at after a field study, will be:

• A skull and cross-bones symbol

• The warning “Smoking Kills”

• A picture depicting the ill-effects of smoking, such as one of a dead man, an infant suffering because of passive smoking, an oral cancer patient

• A health message, such as “Your smoking kills babies”, “Tobacco kills 2,500 Indians everyday”, “Tobacco causes slow and painful death” and “Tobacco causes mouth cancer”

The warnings will be in English and regional languages while the message and the picture to go with it will be rotated every 12 months by the Ministry.

The measure gains significance as India is the world’s third-largest producer and consumer of tobacco, which is among the leading causes of death in the country. A WHO study estimates that the proportion of tobacco-related deaths in India is set to rise from 1.4 per cent in 1990 to 13.3 per cent in 2020.

Countries like Canada and Singapore, which have already adopted pictorial messages against tobacco use, have reported that these are effective. The decision to put pictorial messages had been taken last year, but the first deadline of February 1 was missed because of resistance from beedi manufacturers.

“We have taken all stake-holders into consideration,” said a senior Ministry official. “There was some resistance from the beedi industry, but no one is an exception. Everyone will have to follow these guidelines.”

K S Vaidyanathan, ITC Senior Vice-President, Corporate Affairs, said: “We will have to comply with these guidelines. We cannot challenge the government’s decision. The government is making an effort in its anti-tobacco drive and this will certainly have an effect. However, those who smoke will continue to smoke.”