Question : PICTORIAL HEALTH WARNINGS ON TOBACCO PACKAGES

(a) the rules/norms formulated by the Government with regard to mandatory depiction of specified pictorial and graphic health warnings on tobacco product packs in the country;

(b) whether the aforesaid rules/norms are in compliance with the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor along with the corrective measures being taken by the Government in this regard;

(c) whether irregularities in adherence to the mandatory depiction of specified pictorial and graphic health warnings on tobacco product packs by tobacco manufa- cturing companies have come to the notice of the Government;

(d) if so, the details thereof and the action taken/proposed by the Government against the offenders; and

(e) the steps being taken by the Government to ensure mandatory compliance of anti-tobacco laws and depiction of specified pictorial health warnings covering 85 per cent covering area on packages of cigarettes and other tobacco products being marketed in the country?

THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI JAGAT PRAKASH NADDA)

(a): Section - 7 of the “The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003” (COTPA) inter alia mandates that all tobacco products produced, supplied or distributed shall have the specified health warnings.

As per the extant Rules pictorial health warnings shall occupy at least 40% of the principal display area of tobacco product packages, limited to front side/panel only.

(b): Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) WHO recommends that the size of the pictorial health warnings should be 50% or more, but no less than 30%, of the principal display areas and on both the sides/panels.

(c) & (d): No such specific irregularities have come to the notice of this Ministry.

(e): The present rules provide that pictorial health warnings will occupy 40% of the principal display area, as stated above. However, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has notified the new Rules related to depiction of specified health warnings on tobacco product packages vide G.S.R. 727 ( E ) dated 15th October, 2014, to come into effect from 1st April, 2015. As per the new Rules, the Health warnings shall cover at least 85% of the principal display area and on both the sides/panels. However, the rules are under examination of the Committee on Subordinate Legis- lation, Lok Sabha.