August 21, 2018
The government of India says tobacco firms must print a helpline no. to combat smoking on all cigarette packs from 1st September.
The Health Ministry has also released new pictorial warnings, showing images of diseased organs & rotting teeth.
The govt. has asked companies to continue covering 80% of the surface of the packs with picture & text warnings.
India has more than 100 million smokers & the govt. says smoking kills nearly a million people each year.
All cigarette packs will have the words "tobacco causes painful death" printed on them along with the helpline no., 1800-11-2356, the government has said.
It added that any company failing to follow the new guidelines would be prosecuted.
In recent years, India has come up with stringent rules to curb the increasing use of tobacco.
It made graphic pictorial warnings mandatory on all cigarette packs in 2014, but the decision was challenged by tobacco firms in the Apex Court.
In 2016, the SC rejected the tobacco industry's argument that the rules were impractical to implement.
Tobacco-related advertisements are also banned & it is a criminal offence to sell tobacco products to minors.
A countrywide ban on smoking in public places came into effect in 2008 - although correspondents say it's blatantly flouted & poorly enforced.
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