On March 5, a notification was issued by the health ministry suggesting a scary real picture of a rotting cancer
-stricken mouth to appear on tobacco packs.
The new warnings would be implemented under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling Amendment) Rules, 2010.
Binoy Matthew, of Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI), an NGO, said, 'The ministry of health and family welfare March 5 notified the new pictorial health warnings which will be implemented on all tobacco products from June 1.”
New warning 'Tobacco Kills' on packs
The latest mouth cancer warning will cover 40 percent of the tobacco pack with the caption 'Tobacco Kills' and 'Tobacco Causes Cancer' in all local languages on both gutka and cigarette packs.
Past researches show that describing the health impact of tobacco in the picture form was effective.
Adding further Matthew said, “Since the news came just a few days before the No Smoking Day, which is today, we are very happy. VHAI had field tested these pictorial warnings in seven states in the country and found them to be most effective.”
Pictorial warning study on 734 people
VHAI conducted the study on 734 people including tobacco-users, female and young people, who were asked for their response, using 11 images.
As many as 98 percent of the 734 people who were polled across seven states of India said that the new picture warning will turn off smokers, in turn helping them to stop using tobacco in any form.
Orissa, Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, were the seven states where Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI), tested the new pictorial warnings.
Health ministry said that although the step was taken in the right direction, initially the previous pictorial message was not effective and did not meet its target.
The new picture replaces earlier scorpion (meant for gutka or chewing tobacco packs) and lungs (diseased lungs) for cigarettes packs.
On May 31 last year, after the intervention of the Supreme Court, pictorial warnings were made compulsory. The apex court had directed the government to enforce the rules strictly.
In India, nearly 2200 people die due to tobacco related diseases every day.
Different types of tobacco
a) Gutka (chewable tobacco)
b) Beedies/Cigarettes: Smoking beedies, the traditional Indian hand-rolled cigarette and cigarettes can cause oral cancer
c) Cigars and pipes
d) Chillum
e) Hookah
Step in the right direction
This is a step in the right direction. I sincerely hope that the impact of these pictorial packaging will be long term. Psychologically human beings tend to get used to things too quickly and get over dreadful pictures like these. This however by all means is an effective way to really hit people with the reality of the dangers of smoking. As these chewing tobacco pictures would show, tobacco use whether smoked or chewed has got life time consequences. The battle is to convince the younger generation of these effects and help them stir away from tobacco and the enticements of the tobacco industry
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