New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Monday released fresh images, which will serve as pictorial health warnings on cigarette and other tobacco products. The new pictures will be used with effect from September 1.
“The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India has notified new sets of specified health warnings for all tobacco product packs by making an amendment in the Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labeling) Rules, 2008vide GSR 331(E) dated 3rd April 2018 ‘Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labeling) Second Amendment Rules’, 2018”. The amended Rules will be applicable w.e.f. 1st September 2018,” a Minister of Health press release said on Monday.
The government released two separate set of images. The first set will be used on tobacco products from September 1, 2018, for a period of 12 months, after which the second set of images will be used.
“All tobacco products manufactured or imported or packaged on or after 1st September, 2018 shall display Image -1 and those manufactured or imported or packaged on or after 1st September, 2019 shall display Image-2. Any person engaged directly or indirectly in the production, supply, import or distribution of cigarettes or any tobacco products shall ensure that all tobacco product packages shall have the specified health warnings exactly as prescribed,” the ministry said in a statement.
The statement added that violation of the above mentioned provision is a punishable offence with imprisonment or fine as prescribed in Section 20 of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003.
The Supreme Court last week had said that tobacco products would continue to carry pictorial warning covering 85 per cent of the packaging space. The apex court, on January 8, had stayed the Karnataka High Court order quashing the 2014 government regulation that packets of tobacco products must carry pictorial warning covering 85 per cent of the packaging space.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice A M Khanwilkar made "absolute" its earlier interim order by which it had stayed the High Court order. "Keeping in view the objects and reasons of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 and the measures taken by the state, we think it appropriate to direct stay of operation of the judgement and order passed by the High Court of Karnataka," it had said.
Comments
0 comment