India ranks shamefully low in a new report that put countries according to how successfully they managed to introduce pictorial health warnings on tobacco packets — a proven strategy that deters people from smoking or chewing tobacco.

According to the Cigarette Package Health Warnings: International Status Report, which was released at the fifth session of the Conference of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in Seoul, South Korea, India ranked 123 among 198 countries surveyed on warning size and fulfilment of requirements for picture-based warnings on cigarette packets.

Upping the ante against the WHO-sponsored efforts to bring down tobacco farming in the world, International Tobacco Growers’ Association chief executive Antonio Abrunhosa said such regulations would only bring hardships to farmers in the tobacco growing countries such as Brazil and India, instead of getting the desired results.

“Five of the eight biggest tobacco growing states are not a part of the treaty. Hence any dream of reducing the production of tobacco will just remain a dream. That will never ever happen,” he said referring to the WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Conference of the Parties (FCTC).

New Delhi A week ahead of the next meeting of the WHO framework convention on tobacco control (FCTC), the tobacco farmers world over have sought representation in the meeting scheduled for discussing the issue of shifting to alternative crop because of health hazards due to rising tobacco consumption.

Articles 17 and 18 of FCTC, which India is a signatory, deal with provisions related to taking up of alternative crop by tobacco growers and environmental impact of tobacco crop.

With the efforts of the district administration and support of NGOs, Jhabua was declared a smoke-free district on Sunday. Jhabua collector Dr Jayshree Kiyawat declared it smoke-free.

Latest addition will be insertion of the word “warning” in red font on the tobacco packs

In an effort to curb tobacco abuse in India, the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has notified a new set of warnings to be depicted on tobacco product packs with effect from April next year. The latest addition will be the insertion of the word “warning” in red font on the tobacco packs. Also, a provision has been added to ensure a ratio is maintained between the vertical and horizontal length of the health warning to avoid distortion with the change in the size of packs.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has notified new set of warnings to be depicted on tobacco product packs with effect from April next year.