India Requires Larger Warning Labels on Cigarette Packs, Industry Opposes

　　According to a July 17 report by Singapore’s Lianhe Zaobao, in order to reduce the number of deaths caused by tobacco-related diseases, the Indian government has announced new regulations requiring tobacco companies to print text and image health warnings covering 85% of the surface area of product packaging.

　　Indian Health Minister Vardhan said tobacco product packaging must carry warning slogans such as “Smoking causes throat cancer” to alert the public to the health risks associated with tobacco. Both the front and back of tobacco product packs must display such warning labels.

　　The regulation will take effect on April 1 next year. Under the current rules, only 20% of the surface area of tobacco product packaging sold in India carries warning text and images.

　　India will become the next country after Thailand, Australia, and Uruguay to implement regulations requiring warning labels to cover 80% or more of tobacco product packaging.

　　In 2012, all cigarette packs sold in Australia were standardized to an olive-brown color and required to carry text and images warning that smoking is harmful to health.

　　The International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project estimates that about 900,000 people in India die each year from tobacco-related diseases. If the public does not give up the use of tobacco products, the death toll could reach as high as 1.5 million by 2020.

　　Although the Indian government has introduced a series of anti-smoking laws, enforcement has not been effective. In addition to smoking, local people also use a traditional hand-rolled cigarette called beedi and chew a tobacco product known as gutka, which is similar to betel nut.

　　Indian officials pointed out that in 2011, diseases caused by tobacco use among people aged 35 to 69 resulted in economic losses of US$23 billion for the country.

　　However, the Tobacco Institute of India, which represents all tobacco companies in the country, said it was dissatisfied that the Indian Health Ministry announced the new regulation without consulting them. They believe the regulation is not only unreasonable but also impractical.