Sixty-nine per cent of the cigarette brands sold in Karnataka have so far complied with the new rule on pictorial warning, says a nationwide survey.
In case of beedis, the compliance is no more than 12 per cent.
Mandatory warningThe new rule mandating 85 per cent pictorial warning on tobacco products was introduced by the Centre on April 1, 2016.
U.S. Vishal Rao, member of Karnataka Government’s High Power Committee on Tobacco Control, said: “We will now send notices to companies that have not complied with the rule or are still selling old stocks (with small warnings).”
The Superintendents of Police and District Health Officers in every district have been authorised to enforce the rule by first sending warning notices and then seizing the products.
In Karnataka, since April, tobacco products worth Rs. 1.8 lakh had been seized for non-compliance.
The survey has found that at the national-level too, the compliance levels are good, with 68 per cent of cigarette packs falling in the ambit of the new rule.
In terms of smokeless tobacco products, 48 per cent of packs have shown compliance and the compliance is 16 per cent in case of beedis.
The survey found that 55 per cent smokeless tobacco (chewing tobacco) packs surveyed had displayed new pictorial warnings.
Dr. Rao said beedi industries had initially opposed the new rule saying they cannot comply since the shape of beedi packs are conical.
