Besides Australia, France, UK. Norway, Ireland, New Zealand and Hungary have introduced plain packaging of tobacco products. Plain packaging was will be introduced in Uruguay and Slovenia in 2019 and 2020 respectively, and is under process or being considered in 14 more countries. With the WTO clearing the last hurdle by favouring plain packaging, India should … Continue reading India should soon introduce plain packaging
Plain Packaging
Get ready for plain packaging of tobacco products
Following Australia’s example, for this year's World No Tobacco Day on May 31 the World Health Organisation is calling on countries to “get ready for plain packaging of tobacco products”. Plain packaging refers to “measures to restrict or prohibit the use of logos, colours, brand images or promotional information on packaging other than brand names … Continue reading Get ready for plain packaging of tobacco products
Let larger pictorial warnings stay
Nearly one million tobacco-related deaths take place in India every year, and in 2011, the total health expenditure burden from all diseases due to tobacco use amounted to more than Rs.1,00,000 crore, which is 12 per cent more than the combined State and Central government expenditure on health in 2011-12. The revenue earned through tobacco … Continue reading Let larger pictorial warnings stay
A pictorial warning must shock
What is the connection between a scorpion, tobacco and cancer? Well, absolutely nothing. If any, it is the crab that is an international symbol of cancer. Yet, the previous government chose the scorpion as one of the pictorial warnings on tobacco products! Though the current controversy on pictorial warnings has finally boiled down to the … Continue reading A pictorial warning must shock
Editorial: Loosening tobacco’s deadly grip
A few months after steeply increasing taxes on tobacco products, the government has come up with another much-needed measure to contain tobacco consumption. Thanks to a recent amendment to the Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Rules of 2008, pictorial warnings are all set to achieve the desired results. Beginning April 1, 2015, … Continue reading Editorial: Loosening tobacco’s deadly grip
Editorial: Packaging punch
Published in The Hindu on August 21, 2012 Indian policymakers should take a long hard look at the recent decision of Australia’s high court upholding landmark legislation passed by Canberra last year to introduce plain packaging of cigarettes. The verdict sends a strong message — public health concerns are supreme and override intellectual property rights … Continue reading Editorial: Packaging punch
Editorial: Bring in plain packaging
Published in The Hindu on December 2, 2011 The reason why only 2.5 per cent of children in Australia in the 12-17 age group smoke daily is not difficult to figure out — they have never been exposed to any cigarette advertising. If the Australian government banned cigarette advertising on television and radio way back … Continue reading Editorial: Bring in plain packaging
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