85% Pictorial Warnings To Be Covered On Cigarette Packets

Pictorial health warning on packages of tobacco products will become bigger from April 1 next year. A notification to this effect was issued today by the Health Ministry saying that all tobacco products will carry warnings covering 85 per cent of the package area from April 1 next year, up from 40 per cent at present. This came a day before a hearing on this matter is scheduled to take place in the Rajasthan High Court. "The Health Ministry has issued the notification. As per the notification, 85 per cent pictoral warning has to be there and it will come into effect from April 1, 2016," a senior Union Health Ministry official told PTI. The Rajasthan High Court had on September 9 ordered the Centre to ensure that larger pictorial warnings are carried on all tobacco products by September 29.