Upholding its stance on tobacco control, India has moved to third position from 136 among 205 countries having pictorial health warnings on tobacco packages. The Canadian Cancer Society announced the rankings on Thursday at the ongoing 7th session of the Conference of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) with release of Cigarette Package Health Warnings International Status Report. India's earlier ranking was 136 in 2014 and 123 in 2012.

Currently, Nepal has the largest warnings in the world with pictorial warnings covering 90 per cent of the package front and back. Vanuatu will also require 90 per cent picture warnings in 2017. India and Thailand have the next largest warnings at 85 per cent of the front and back. "India has demonstrated global leadership by implementing 85 per cent pictorial warnings on all tobacco packages. This accomplishment is praiseworthy as it has been achieved despite fierce opposition from the tobacco industry. India will serve as a very positive model for other countries, thus benefitting public health worldwide," Rob Cunningham, Senior Policy Analyst, Canadian Cancer Society said.

The report ranks 205 countries and territories on the size of their health warnings on cigarette packs and lists countries and territories that require graphic picture warnings. The report shows a significant global momentum towards plain packaging with four countries requiring plain packs and 14 working on it. The report also shows that 105 countries and territories have required pictorial health warnings on cigarette packages. Experts said that the action will reduce smoking and save lives across the world.

"Cigarette package warnings are a highly cost-effective way to increase awareness of the negative health effects of smoking and to reduce tobacco use. Picture-based warnings convey a more powerful message than a text-only warning, and larger ones increase impact," said Seema Gupta, Director, Tobacco Control, Voluntary Health Association of India. "Picture warnings are especially valuable for low- and middle-income countries where there are higher rates of illiteracy and where governments may have few resources," she said. Guidelines under the WHO-FCTC treaty also recommend that countries consider implementing plain packaging. Plain packaging includes health warnings on packages, but prohibits tobacco company branding, such as colours, logos and design elements, and requires the brand portion of each package to be the same colour, such as an unattractive brown. The brand name would still appear, in a standard font size, style and location. The package format is standardized.

Experts claim that plain packaging puts an end to packaging being used for product promotion, increases the effectiveness of package warnings, curbs package deception and decreases tobacco use. Tobacco related diseases kills about 2500 Indians daily and over 10 lakh Indians every year. And it is estimated that about 5500 youth and children (as young as 8 years old), initiate tobacco use daily. India has 12 crore tobacco users, according to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey. Enditem


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