Bigger health warnings not practical for India’s OTPs

The producers of tobacco products other than cigarettes are asking the Indian government to exclude them from the current requirement that, by April 1, tobacco packs include health warnings covering 85 percent of their two main surfaces, according to a story in the latest issue of the BBM Bommidala Group newsletter.

The new warnings would be made up of pictorial warnings taking up 60 percent of the surface areas and written warnings taking up 25 percent.

The producers of smokeless tobacco were said to have claimed that whereas such warnings might be appropriate in the case of box-type packaging; they were not practical in the case of sachets.

Smokeless tobacco products were required to be included in packs with one transparent side so that the contents were visible, which meant that it would not be possible to print warnings on that side.

Consequently, the manufacturers are asking the government to leave other tobacco products under the former regulations whereby health warnings were required to cover 40 percent of one side.

Tobacco manufacturers were informed by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in October that they would be required to apply the warnings.