Health Ministry issues notification for bigger pictorial warnings on tobacco packs

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: Starting April 1 next year, pictorial health warning on packages of tobacco products will become bigger as per a notification issued on Monday by the Health Ministry.

According to the notification, all tobacco products would carry warnings covering 85 percent of the package area from April 1 next year, up from 40 per cent at present.

The development came a day before a hearing on this matter is scheduled to take place in the Rajasthan High Court.

“The Health Ministry has issued the notification. As per the notification, 85 per cent pictorial warning has to be there and it will come into effect from April 1, 2016,” a senior Union Health Ministry official was quoted as saying to PTI.

On September 9, the Rajasthan High Court had ordered the Centre to ensure that larger pictorial warnings are carried on all tobacco products by September 29.

It further added that the Ministry will seek six months as the producers of the products need to make adjustments to their products.

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