International Best Practices
Australia
Front: 30%
Back: 90%
Brazil
100% either of the sides
Canada
Front: 50%
Back: 50%
Thailand
Front: 50%
Back: 50%
UK
Front: 43%
Back: 53%
Size of Pictorial Warnings: International Best Practices
• 60% New Zealand (30% of front, 90% of back)
• 56 % Belgium (48 % of front, 63% of back, including border)
• 56 % Switzerland (48 % of front, 63% of back, including border)
• 52 % Finland (45% of front and 58% of back, including border
• 50 % Singapore (50 % of front and back)
• 50% Uruguay (50 % front and back)
• 50 % Chile (50 % front and back)
• 50 % Venezuela (100% of either front or back)
• 48 % Norway (43 % of front, 53 % of back, including border)
Indian Scenario
Pictorial Warnings previously notified by the Government
Strong and effective – field tested
In the earlier set of rules, pictorial warnings covered 50 % of the front and 50% of the back on all tobacco products.
Pictorial Warnings coming into force from May 31, 2009
Mild and weak – not field tested
As per the new rules notified on May 3, 2009, pictorial warnings would be displayed only on the 40% of the principal display area of the front panel of all tobacco packs.
International Obligation: India ratified the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the first international public health treaty of the World Health Organization (WHO) in February 2004 and is a Party to the convention. According to FCTC, the deadline for India to implement pictorial health warning was February 27, 2008. But still the tobacco products in India do not carry any pictorial health warnings. Also FCTC recommends 30 % as minimum size of display of pictorial health warnings i.e. 30% front and 30% back, which India has again not complied with.
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Credits: this advocacy card is published and distributed by Indian Society Against Smoking (ISAS), Asha Parivar. We acknowledge the financial contribution received from Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco use and technical contribution received from HRIDAY on behalf of Advocacy Forum for Tobacco Control - AFTC (Delhi).
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Email: ramakant@ramakant.org, website: http://tambakooKills.blogspot.com