A Bill providing for pictorial warning on tobacco products with the option of displaying skull and cross bones on its packets was introduced in the Lok Sabha, Indian Parliament.
Moving the Bill, Indian Health and Family Welfare Minister Anbumani Ramadoss said “taking into account the religious sentiments expressed by certain sections of society against the depiction of skull and cross bones, the pictorial warning of skull and cross bones on the packets of tobacco products may be made optional rather than mandatory.”
The amendment was introduced in the sub section (1) of section 7 of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003.
The 2003 bill was enacted mainly for taking effective steps to discourage the use of tobacco and tobacco products so as to protect public health.
As per sub section (1) of section 7 of the said Act, no person shall, directly or indirectly produce, supply or distribute cigarette or any other tobacco products unless every package of cigarettes or any other tobacco products produced, supplied or distributed by him bears thereon, or on its label, the specified health warning.
As per the amended Bill 2007, health warning, includes pictorial depiction of skull and cross bones and such other warning as may be prescribed by the rules made by the Central Government under the Act.