House Panel Supports a Delay in Tobacco Warning

A parliamentary committee has appealed to the government to delay the date of implementation of Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, which mandates increasing the size of health warning from 40% to 85%. The notification was supposed to come into effect from April 1, 2015.

The Committee on Subordinate Legislation headed by Lok Sabha MP Dilip M. Gandhi submitted its report on March 18 saying "the committee strongly urges the government that the implementation of notification dated October 15, 2014, may be kept in abeyance till the committee finalize the examination of the subject and arrives at appropriate conclusions and presents objective report to Parliament".

The panel said it had received representations from seven Parliament members and stakeholders like All India Bidi Industry Federation and Karnataka Virginia Tobacco Growers Association that the proposed notification would have adverse impact on the livelihood of a large number of people.

"It is of the firm opinion that all such apprehensions need to be comprehensively examined before the amendment notification is brought to force," the panel said.



Source: Medindia