Batting for the branded cigarette industry, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) wants the government to reconsider its order to have pictorial warnings on both sides and covering 85 per cent of the pack.
In a letter to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, FICCI has said more prominent pictorial warnings will impact the domestic cigarette industry as a large percentage of non-cigarette tobacco products sold in unpackaged and unbranded packs will escape this regulation. It wants the warnings limited to the current 20 per cent (or 40 per cent of the front panel).
In October this year the Ministry issued a notification making it mandatory for cigarette manufacturing companies to carry statutory warning with pictorial depiction of throat cancer and a message in English, Hindi or any Indian language on both sides of a cigarette pack and covering at least 85 per cent of the packaging starting April,1.
The FICCI has asked the Ministry to revisit the proposed amendments to the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 or COTPA 2003 as these would allow the illegal tobacco industry to grow.
It has argued that in the absence of pictorial warnings on illegal and loosely sold cigarettes, there is an impression that they are not as harmful as the packaged ones, thereby misleading consumers. It also cautioned that there could be a rise in the consumption of other tobacco products, and illegal cigarettes as they do not carry any warnings and are cheaper on account of tax evasion.
While senior Health Ministry officials remained unavailable for comment, Vinayak Mohan Prasad, project manager, Tobacco Control in WHO, Switzerland, disagreeing with FICCI’s argument, told The Hindu , “Pictorial warnings work; they are a cost-effective way of informing people about the hazards of smoking, especially in countries like India with low literacy levels.”
Refuting the industry claims, he said there was no evidence to show illicit trade grew because of regulations. “There are more than 75 countries that insist on health warnings; a picture is worth a thousand words. India should implement warnings to invest in the future of its youth.”
What the WHO says
Article 11 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) (India is a signatory to it) requires Parties to the Convention to implement large, rotating health warnings on all tobacco product packaging and labelling.
Guidelines for Article 11 of the WHO FCTC recommend that Parties should mandate full colour pictures or pictograms, in their packaging and labelling requirements.
The Government data shows the total economic costs attributable to tobacco use from all diseases in India for people in the 35-69 age group was more than Rs. 1.4 lakh crore in 2011.
