: Judicial, academic and health experts in Kerala have expressed dismay over the Centre's decision to withhold the implementation of '85 per cent pictorial warnings' on all tobacco product packages with effect from April 1, 2016.
A recent report of the Lok Sabha Committee on Subordinate Legislation recommended 50 per cent coverage on both sides of cigarette packs and up to 50 per cent on one side of beedi and chewing tobacco product packs.
Experts point out that this goes against the commitment made to the judiciary by the government to implement '85 per cent pictorial warnings' on all tobacco product packs from April 1, a release said here today.
Justice K K Usha, former Kerala High Court Chief Justice, said, "It is disheartening that reasons are being found to delay and dilute the implementation of a very cost-effective measure to spread awareness on tobacco harms.
"The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in its affidavits to the Honourable High Courts of Rajasthan and Karnataka, had pledged to implement 85 per cent pictorial warnings from April 1, the release said.
T P Srinivasan, Vice Chairman, Kerala State Higher Education Council, said, "The objective of explicit, large, and gruesome pictorial warnings is to inform and distract users from buying these products."
"Children and persons with low literacy can understand the hazards of tobacco use when communicated through large-sized pictures in tobacco product packs."
Dr G Vijayaraghavan, Vice Chairman and Director, Medical Services, KIMS Hospital, here noted that the commonest cause of death in Kerala was heart diseases, precipitated by tobacco addiction in both young and old alike.
"We have to take strong measures against the use of tobacco to save our brothers and sisters," he said adding that for the purpose, pictorial warnings on cigarettes, beedis, and smokeless tobacco products are extremely important to educate people who buy these products and caution them to reduce its use.
