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New Delhi, 17 July: Bidi companies are violating the Supreme Court order which makes it mandatory to display pictorial health warnings on at least one side of the packet. Most bidi brands are not carrying the pack warnings on their packets, even six weeks after the implementation of the law. On the other hand gutkha companies which have printed pictorial warnings on their brands have actually minimized the size of the health messages in violation of the government's notification to implement the new packaging and labeling rules which came into effect on 31 May 2009.
Voluntary Health Association of India has undertaken a study to monitor the implementation of the pack warning rules on tobacco products. The study found that bidi brands have been completely violating the rules and have not implemented pictorial health warnings. Many chewable tobacco products like gutkha, khaini have implemented the rules but have drastically watered down the already weak pictorial health warnings. A few cigarette companies and brands have implemented the pack warnings. The findings of the study have been given in the two tables below.
As per the undertaking given by the Central Government in the Supreme Court on 6 May 2009, it is very clear that the law makes it compulsory for all packages of tobacco products to display pictorial warnings on 40% of the total area on one side of the packets.
The findings of the study are enumerated below in the two tables which displays the total size in percentage of the pictorial warnings of tobacco products. |
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Pack warnings on chewable tobacco |
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| Name of brand |
Length |
Width |
Total size |
Pack warning length |
Pack warning width |
Total size of pack warning |
Coverage of health warning in (%) of total pack size |
| Kuber Khaini |
9 cm |
6 cm |
54 sq cm |
2 cm |
4.7 cm |
9.4 sq cm |
19 % approx |
| Shikhar Gutkha |
4.7 cm |
6.5 cm |
30.55 sq cm |
1.6 cm |
2 cm |
3.2 sq cm |
10 % approx |
| Bahar Gutkha |
6.5 cm |
5 cm |
32.5 sq cm |
1.5 cm |
4 cm |
6 sq cm |
18 % approx |
| Rajshree
Gutkha |
6 cm |
4.5 cm |
27 sq cm |
1.3 cm |
3 cm |
3.9 sq cm |
14 % approx |
| Dilbag Gutkha |
5.5 cm |
5.6 cm |
30.8 sq cm |
2.7 cm |
2 cm |
5.4 sq cm |
18 % approx |
| Rajdarbar |
4.2 cm |
6.8 cm |
28.56 sq cm |
2.1 cm |
2 cm |
4.2 sq cm |
15 % approx |
| Chaini Khaini |
10.2 cm |
8.5 cm |
86.7 sq cm |
3 cm |
3.7 cm |
11.1 sq cm |
13 % approx |
| Pan Parag |
7.3 cm |
5 cm |
36.5 sq cm |
3.8 cm |
3.3 cm |
12.54 sq cm |
35 %
approx |
| Tiranga |
5.5 cm |
6 cm |
33 sq cm |
2 cm |
1.8 cm |
3.6 sq cm |
11 % approx |
| Swagat |
8 cm |
6 cm |
48 sq cm |
2.3 cm |
3.3 cm |
7.59 sq cm |
17 % approx |
| Kamala Pasand |
6.2 cm |
4.9 cm |
30.38 sq cm |
3 cm |
1 cm |
3 sq cm |
10 % approx |
| RMD |
5 cm |
7 cm |
35 sq cm |
2.1 cm |
6.5 cm |
13.65 cm |
39 % approx |
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| (The decimal points have been removed and the figures rounded to the nearest whole numbers) |
Various studies outside India, especially in countries where pictorial warnings on packages of tobacco products have been implemented, have revealed that such warnings play a significant role in propelling consumers to understand the hazards of tobacco useand urging them to quit.
VHAI which played a key role in getting pictorial health warnings on packages of tobacco products implemented believes that proper enforcement of the law will go a long way in informing the consumers about the harmful effects of tobacco and would help in curbing its use.
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For further information please contact:
Akhauri P Sinha - 9891050619
Binoy Mathew - 9911366272
Voluntary Health Association of India
Ph: 011-47004300 |
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