"In India, nearly a million deaths occur every year due to tobacco related diseases. Tobacco is not only a major risk factor contributing to the deaths related to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) it also affects the fiscal and economic health of the country.
"The tobacco industry will undoubtedly raise unfounded concerns about impact on economic trade especially loss of livelihood to farmers and bidi rollers but evidence shows that tobacco producers are trapped in a cycle of exploitation and poverty," UN World Health Organisation's Director-General Margaret Chan said in her letter to the Prime Minister.
In line with its commitment to this global treaty, India implemented pictorial health warnings on all tobacco packs in 2009.
Given the heavy public health and economic costs to the country due to tobacco consumption, WHO strongly supports early implementation of the October 2014 notification for increasing the size of tobacco pack warnings, she said.
Mired in controversy, the government has put on hold its decision to increase pictorial warnings on tobacco products to 85 per cent from the present 40 per cent. The rule was to come into effect from April 1 this year.