New Delhi: Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI) has intensified the public awareness campaign to support the move for a larger graphic health warning on tobacco products sold across India.
The prime objective of this campaign is to garner support through a petition that will be presented to the Government of India in March, 2015, signatures for which will be collected both online and on ground. The petition, which has been addressed to Union health Minister J. P. Nadda on behalf of oral cancer survivor, SunitaTomar is currently available online athttp://chn.ge/1Dy6QQu.
Pertinently, the Union Government on 15th October, 2014 announced the new pictorial health warnings for tobacco products that has made India the global leader in pack warnings.
A notification was released requiring tobacco manufacturing companies to devote at least 85 percent of the surface areas of all tobacco products on both sides to graphically and literally represent the statutory warning. Beginning April 1, 2015 every tobacco product will carry on both sides pictorial depiction of throat and mouth cancer and a message in English, Hindi or any Indian language.
We are trying to involve as many people as we can in the campaign. If a huge section of society raises its voice in support of using bigger pictorial warnings, the Government will implement the new pictorial health warnings from April 1, this year, said Bhavna Mukhopadhyay, Executive Director, Voluntary Health Association of India.
At present, India ranks 136thin the Global Cigarette Package Health Warnings ranking, but this move elevates India to the 2nd position.
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