SC orders larger pictorial warnings on tobacco products

May 5, 2016 Hot from the Oven Valli Sarvani No comments

The decision of whether or not tobacco companies should put larger pictorial warnings on tobacco product cases has been going on for a long time. Either side have made arguments regarding the case. However, the Supreme Court has asked the tobacco companies to immediately implement larger pictorial warnings on tobacco products.

A stay on centre’s order for 85 percent warning was granted by the Dharwad Bench of the Karnataka High Court. The Supreme Court has lifted the stay and made the order to put bigger warnings immediately.

Furthermore, all cases which challenged the tobacco product warning rule have been transferred to the Karnataka High Court by the Supreme Court. SC told the Karnataka High Court to finalize the case in eight weeks.

In addition, the Supreme Court also said that no order is valid until the case is completely disposed by the Karnataka High Court.

Commending the steps taken by the Union Government with this problem of tobacco products, Karnataka Health Minister U.T. Khader wrote a letter to Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda.

He also demanded that the government should not step back on its decision regarding the pictorial warnings on cigarette packs and other tobacco products.

The Centre has taken a decision earlier and ordered that all tobacco products which are sold should have a pictorial warning on it covering 85 percent of the product.

The Health Ministry released a notification regarding the implementation of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Amendment Rules, 2014 on April 1.

These prescribed larger pictorial warnings on tobacco products. The Health Ministry has also made a commitment erstwhile to the Rajasthan High Court on March 28 this year stating that all tobacco products after April 1 would have a larger pictorial health warning than before. Now, the SC has made its order.

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