The Hindu Business Line : Pictorial warnings

This is with reference to "Aussies too can picture fear" (Business Line, February 4). The Australians must be congratulated for following Canada by planning to put warnings on cigarette packets within 18 months. After seeing the pictorial warnings on cigarette packets in Canada, one cannot but feel that the same should happen here.

Around one million people die every year in India due to tobacco-related diseases, and a lot more get hooked to tobacco everyday without even being aware of the harm it causes. A picture speaks a thousand words and is easily understood by the illiterate.

It is one of the simple ways to control tobacco. It has also been a proven tobacco control strategy in Canada. A Canadian survey reveals that 44 per cent of smokers said the new warnings have increased their motivation to quit smoking

The Indian Government is already in the process of drafting the Tobacco Bill and also has taken active part internationally to motivate other countries to sign the tobacco control treaty. One hopes that the cigarette packets sold in India meet the following criteria:

They should have a direct message with pictorial and graphic representation.

The warning should occupy not less than 50 per cent of the principle display areas of the tobacco packs.

This is one powerful way that countries, such as Canada and Australia, have already taken to ensure that the illiterate will also realise the harm caused by tobacco.

One hopes the same is implemented in India and the illiterate here will also have a chance to know the harm tobacco causes before he/she takes the product off the shelf.

Ketaki Amarapurkar

Mumbai

Letters to the editor and contributions can be sent by e-mail to: bleditor@thehindu.co.in

More Stories on : Letters | Cigarettes | Health

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Disconnect ADC

India shines — only for some

Fiscal management — A victim of political cycles

Now is the time for farewells and receptions

The baggage of opaqueness

Too tongue-tied to speak the language of value

Case for secretarial independence

New walls to wail at

Interim Budget

Pictorial warnings