Tribune News Service, 19th July,2006
The statuary warning on cigarette packs that "cigarette smoking is injurious to health" will soon be replaced by "Tobacco Kills/Smoking Kills" as the Health Ministry would now make it mandatory for all tobacco products to carry the new health warning, failing which sellers would attract stringent penalty, including imprisonment.
To educate people about the ill-effects of tobacco products, other health warning signs that will also appear on tobacco packs include the "skull and bones sign" or a pictorial representation of the ill-effects of tobacco.
The new rules will come to effect from February 1, next year, to allow trade and industry the time to make the necessary changes.
Any person who disregards the warning rules, will in the case of first conviction, be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine of upto Rs 5,000, or with both.
