India Ranks Higher in Regard of Poor Picture-Based Tobacco Warnings

Source from:  French Tribune‎  11/22/2012

There is a ban on the sale of Gutka in Ahmadabad but despite of this, it is known to have the highest number of oral cases caused by tobacco, around 40%. Gutka is easily sold in the city in different tobacco pouches.

 
Recently, an international survey was carried out on illustrative warning size and accomplishment of requirements for picture-based warnings on cigarette packages. As a result, India has been ranked 123 in the list of 198 countries.

The Canadian Cancer Society along with the Framework Convention Alliance is behind the development of this report. WHO also has played a vital role in making this Tobacco Free Initiative, a success.
 
In 2010, when the last CoP 4 report was released in Uruguay, India was ranked 100th in it. Since then, in order to reduce tobacco-related deaths and morbidity rate across the globe, a number of countries including Australia decided to take strict actions towards strong pictographic warnings.
 
There is no doubt to say that India has introduced picture-based warnings on tobacco packages but then their warnings just cover 40% of the principal display areas. The back of packaging is simply blank, whereas if we talk about Australia, their warnings cover 82.5% of the front and back of the cigarette packages.
 
India lacks behind a number of other developing countries also including Thailand, Maldives, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Enditem