New Delhi: Sachets and packets of tobacco products will have with more dreadful picture to show the devastating affects of their consumption on human health. The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has notified new sets of specified health warnings for all tobacco product packs by making an amendment in the Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Rules, 2008 on July 21, 2022.
All new products packed after November 30 will carry a fresh picture among the set of two on each packet and sachets of tobacco products including cigarettes, Gutkha and paan mashala, etc.
As per the amendment, to be effective on December 1, all tobacco products will carry the new warning image for a period of 12 months. Another scary picture of a man with his mouth completely devastated due to consumption of tobacco will be published from December 2023 for next year.
The said notification alongwith the soft or printable version of the specified health warnings in 19 languages are available on the websites www.mohfw.gov.in and ntcp.nhp.gov.in.
The notification said that all tobacco products manufactured or imported or packaged on or after 1st December, 2022 shall display Image -1 with the textual Health Warning as ‘TOBACCO CAUSES PAINFUL DEATH’ and those manufactured or imported or packaged on or after 1st December, 2023 shall display Image-2 with the textual Health Warning ‘TOBACCO USERS DIE YOUNGER’.
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.
Violation of the above mentioned provision 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 existing specified health warning (Image-2) – notified vide GSR 458(E) dated 21st July, 2020, shall continue till 30th November, 2022.
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