CBIC: Health warning on both sides of the tobacco product packages be shown

The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has issued an instruction requiring health warnings to be printed on both sides of tobacco product packages, covering 85% of the display area.

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply, and Distribution) Act, 2003, is applicable to all tobacco products and covers the entire country.

Section 7 provides for a specified health warning on all tobacco product packs.

These rules have been amended from time to time to require the display of specified health warnings on both sides of tobacco product packages, covering 85% of the principal display area. The rules were last amended in July 2020.

Now, MoHFW, in the "Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labeling) Amendment Rules, 2022," has notified the public of the new set of specified health warnings that came into force on the 1st day of December 2022.