NEW DELHI: The health ministry on Monday issued new images for the pictorial warning on packs of cigarette and other tobacco products. The new pictures, which will be used with effect from September 1, will have to be accompanied with a quitline number.

According to a health ministry order, all packs of tobacco products must have "tobacco causes cancer" and "tobacco causes painful death" written in white on a red background, and the words "quit today call 1800-11-2356" in white on a black background along with the pictorial warning.

The quit line number is a pertinent feature of the new warning. It mandates the packaging to display a “Quit Today Call” number 1800-11-2356 which is an online on-call assistance facility launched for those people seeking support to quit the use of tobacco products.

The health ministry maintains pictorial health warnings on the packs of tobacco products are the most cost-effective tool for educating people on the health risks of tobacco use. A study by the National Council of Applied Economic Research shows about 46% of illiterate men smoke, whereas only 16% of college graduates are hooked to tobacco.

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, whereas the second set of images will be used from September 1, 2019.

“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,” the health ministry said in a statement.

All tobacco products manufactured or imported or packaged on or after 1st September 2018 will have to 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.

Violation of the 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% of the packaging space. The apex court had stayed the Karnataka High Court order quashing the 2014 government regulation that packets of tobacco products must carry pictorial warning covering 85% of the packaging space.

