Stricter indicators on tobacco products

KOCHI: The Union Health Department’s notification which stipulates clear  display of warning signs on tobacco products came into force on Saturday.  The notification, issued on May 27, calls for separate warnings for smoking  and non-smoking tobacco products.For tobacco products used for smoking, the image displayed should be of  cancer in the mouth or in the lungs. For non-smoking products, cancer on the  neck and mouth should be displayed. Over 40 per cent of the space on the front side of the packet should be allocated for the warnings. Apart from this, messages must be  displayed both in the language written on the packet and in the local language. ‘Smoking Kills’ in the case of tobacco products used for smoking and ‘Tobacco Kills’, on non-smoking tobacco products must be clearly  displayed.The tobacco products without proper display of these warning signals will be  seized, Narcotics Cell assistant commissioner Joseph Saju, who heads the District Tobacco Control Squad, said. He also requested the shop owners and  traders not to sell tobacco products without the aforesaid warnings.Tobacco products with horrifying pictures on cancer will serve as warning for people, members of Kerala Voluntary Health Services, who have been steering the campaign, said.