The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has notified new set of warnings to be depicted on tobacco product packs with effect from April next year.
The new additions to the rules include insertion of the word “warning” in red font on the packs. Also, a provision has been added to ensure a ratio is maintained between the vertical and horizontal length of the health warning to avoid distortion with the change in the size of packs.
“Well-designed health warnings and messages are part of a range of measures to communicate health risks due to tobacco use. Pictorial health warnings communicate health risks in a visible way, provoke a greater emotional response and increase the motivation of tobacco users to quit and to decrease their tobacco consumption,” the Ministry said in a statement.
It added that graphic warning labels have greater impact than text-only labels especially when it comes to low literacy audiences and children.