International parliamentarians and doctors highlight warnings on tobacco packs

Parliamentarians from India and Australia met along with renowned Indian doctors to discuss the importance of larger pictorial health warnings in India and steps recommended to move towards plain packaging of tobacco products.

This meeting comes ahead of the Indian Government's decision to implement 85 percent pictorial health warnings on both sides of tobacco packages from April 1, 2016.

Australia set a global example by implementing plain packaging of tobacco products in December 2012, as a landmark effort to counter tobacco use, despite tremendous tobacco industry resistance. An attempt by tobacco companies to weaken India's commitment to 85 percent pictorial health warnings was met with stiff resistance by the tobacco control community, media and youth.

 

Several world leaders including ministers from South Africa and Ireland and HRH Princess Dina Mired of Jordan have supported the 85 percent pictorial health warnings in India.

"Tobacco kills people all around the world, including an estimated one million Indians every year, which is a grave tragedy. I congratulate the Indian government for its commitment to larger graphic health warnings on tobacco packs to help reduce smoking rates," said Chris Picton, Member of South Australian Parliament.

Baijayant Panda, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) said, "As lawmakers of our country, it is critical that we take a stand on issues that determine the health and wellbeing of our citizens. The enormous burden of tobacco use is one such issue and we must push for policies meant to protect and warn people, especially youth about the dangerous consequences of tobacco. Australia has been a beacon of hope and resilience in fighting tobacco companies and implementing plain packaging of tobacco products."

At present, pictorial health warnings cover 40 percent of the principal display area of tobacco packages. India is currently ranked at the 136th position worldwide vis-a-vis warnings labels, according to an international report published by the Canadian Cancer Society in 2014. With Australia leading the plain packaging movement, a number of countries across the world have implemented large-sized pictorial health warnings on both sides of the tobacco pack. Countries with the largest warnings include India's neighbours in the South East Asia Region, i.e. Nepal (90 percent), Thailand (85 percent) and Sri Lanka (80 percent).

"This issue of larger pictorial health warnings in India has received multi-sectoral support including medical fraternity, civil society, youth groups, victims of tobacco use, Department of agriculture and most importantly the Judiciary through Rajasthan High Court. We are hopeful that India's decision to implement 85 percent pictorial health warnings from April 2016 will improve the notice ability and effectiveness of the warnings and will better inform the consumers especially the illiterate population," said Dr. Monika Arora, Executive Director, HRIDAY.