Should space for pictorial warnings on cigarette packs be increased?
Should space for pictorial warnings on cigarette packs be increased?
Anbumani Ramadoss, the former Health Minister came down aggressively on the measure taken by the Union Government to postpone the decision to increase anti-tobacco warnings area on cigarette packets. He demanded PM Narendra Modi's intervention in ensuring that the makers of cigarettes increase the pictorial warnings size on cigarette packets to 85% from 40% as decided earlier. Is it a right decision? Should the space for pictorial warnings on cigarette packs be increased?
Yes
• Recent brain studies using electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) showed that the graphic warning labels have a positive impact on smokers’ brain and behavior.
• At a time, when text warnings became ineffective and invisible on a cigarette pack, pictorial warnings were released. Again, it is the right time for change.
• The Indian tobacco industry is valued at Rs40, 000 crores whereas the nation need to spend almost 1,15,000 crores to deal with tobacco related diseases.
• Over the last 15 years, almost 70 nations across the world have determined that it is vital to warn smokers with dramatic images and large texts on the cigarette pack. So many nations cannot be wrong on a single point.
• Warnings need to be given in the right way and right format irrespective of the fact that they are followed or not.
No
• There is hardly any impact of warnings images or videos on the smokers. It is another futile attempt.
• The images proposed or large texts hardly add any value to the mandated text. It is seen as constituted unabashed measures to evoke emotion and browbeat smokers into quitting. The proposed labels are unable to beat the free-speech rights of the tobacco firms that brought suit.
• The move is seen as detrimental for the tobacco industry. Government need to consider the benefits of both the parties.
• If the tobacco industry slows down, it can result in higher unemployment rate that is again not good for the economy.
• Even the illiterate people are aware of the fact that smoking cigarette is injurious to health. There is no effective role of large pictorial warnings.
Conclusion
More than seventy nations have stated that it is essential to warn smokers with dramatic images and large texts on the cigarette pack. Smoking is injurious to health and the pictures fetch attention to the warnings and highlight the ill effects of smoking from heart attacks and lung cancers to birth defects and strokes. Even if the large picture changes the mindset of single individual then too it would be a success. There is no harm in increasing the pictorial warnings on cigarette packs.
Discussion
- RE: Should space for pictorial warnings on cigarette packs be increased? -Shorabh Gupta (02/18/17)
- Yes it's increase because 100% persons are not see that pictures but some 2% or 5% persons see the pictorial warning on cigarette packs and tobacco gutkha packs .So they can change selflife for shake of family.
I suggest those person who leave that smoking and gutkha who should take the alternatives like souffe, sugar Baar, cardimom , artifical cigarette packs chocolate.etc.
I changed my own life.
Thanks
- RE: Should space for pictorial warnings on cigarette packs be increased? -Dr.Iftikhar Ahmad (10/14/15)
- Pictorial warnings are more effective.In Pakstan on the very next day they printed pictorial warning on a pack and shopkeepers were complaining about sudden drop in sale of that brand.
Pictoriaal messages are more effective when displayed properly,regulations demand 20% of a cig. pack covered with warnings.
- RE: Should space for pictorial warnings on cigarette packs be increased? -Deepa Kaushik (04/07/15)
- Pictoral warning is one of the way to promote awareness of ill-effects of tobacco. The majority of the smokers, even the illiterate ones, know that smoking is injurious to health. So, the warnings given as texts or pictoral warnings could hardly pull them out of addiction. Still, we cannot stay numb to the deteriorating conditions of health due to the tobacco use across the country, and one such step of pictoral warning is much appreciated.
Increasing the space could hardly add to the benefits. Instead, if the same guidelines of spreading awareness could be extended to the other tobacco forms like bidi and tobacco chewables etc., that could ideally help in spreading the message to a larger platform. It is not only the literacy rate that need to be considered during sending such warnings to the society, but we should also see the segment of people under economic grounds. The people coming from poor strata, who could hardly afford to buy a single cigarette or prefer to buy the product without complete packet, might not go across these warnings. For them, these pictoral warnings should be enlarged and spread on every outlet which sells these products.
We cannot expect people, especially the regular smokers, to quit smoking by way of these warnings and presentations. Still, these might re-shape into an emotional plane when the same could be conveyed to these people by the near and dear ones. This might help to reduce the smoking. Even if a single smoker gets to a non-smoker by means of these pictoral presentation, it would be grand success for those who are striving hard for anti-tobacco campaign.
Coming on to the part of tobacco industry and economic impact on the country, very well said that the health issues due to tobacco claim a lot in comparison to the benefits from the tobacco sale. And talking of the employment opportunities of those involved in the tobacco industry, the industry would still prevail for the export. Still, if these people get down from this industry, Government should be well-prepared to shift them to some similar profile in other industry. To be precise, it would be better to spread pictoral and other forms of awareness in other forms and areas instead of increasing the space on the cigarette packets.
- RE: Should space for pictorial warnings on cigarette packs be increased? -Himansu Rath (04/06/15)
- Yes the space for pictorial warnings on cigarette packs be increased.for illiterate people who use cigarette,this picture put an effect but according to the statistics maximum educated people,business man ,clg student use this ,they know the impact of the cigarette, for them no matter to increase/decrease the size of the picture.
Yes it is true that Govt. earning high revenue from selling of Tabasco but is this the only way to earn revenue ?there are so many ways to earn revenue.
Yes it is difficult to band cigarette but if Govt hiked more tax then the number of use of cigarette daily decreases. - RE: Should space for pictorial warnings on cigarette packs be increased? -Charan (04/06/15)
- I don't think it is necessary for displaying warning pictures on the cigarettes. Because most of the people already knows smoking is bad for health and still they continue to smoke. instead of warning messages on cigarette, it is better to other actions like giving adds in tv about bad effects it cause on health, doing short films, or including few scenes in movie to motivate the people.
- RE: Should space for pictorial warnings on cigarette packs be increased? -Charan Tej (04/06/15)
- Tobacco is one of the big revenues for India. Govt. spends more money for curing tobacco related products than its revenue. There is no problem in increasing pictorial warnings on cigarette packs. Even if one person changes it is good for his family, his village and all these small small changes leads to a big change. As the govt. can't ban cigarettes as it is the revenue maker, it can increase the pictorial warnings on cigarette packs like so many other countries. Technically speaking Pictorial warnings draws more attention than written warnings.
- RE: Should space for pictorial warnings on cigarette packs be increased? -Vinod Kumar (04/06/15)
- I observe these days a lot of fuss was craeted about tobacco lobby.
Now the problem is whether to increase pictorial warnings on the packets or not ? I personally feel this increase/ decrease in pictorial warnings yields no effect. Because if we observe last year statistics even after government hiked the tax on it, still the sales were almost the same. Also people who are smoke cigarette or who drinks or any other habit, they clearly know the side effects of it but still they continue to consume it. If this happens what effect does it produce if we increase / decrease the pictorial size.
I feel we should try to impose ban on such harmful things. But the government can't do it suddenly because those items will fetch a lot of revenue to the exchequer. So this goes round and round and end somewhere without any solution. - RE: Should space for pictorial warnings on cigarette packs be increased? -akhilesh tiwari (04/04/15)
- I think there is no need to increase the pictorial warning in cigarettes because no one give the attention on the what ever is written or printed on the cigarette packs , it may be reason that every person even illiterate know it is not good for there health. Instead of this gov't can ban the selling the cigarettes is only way to stop using it .
- RE: Should space for pictorial warnings on cigarette packs be increased? -Rohit (04/04/15)
- Those who smoke,they are already aware of the consequences of smoking, therefore increasing space for pictorial warnings on cigarette packs won't bring in a change to
the number of puffs they take in a day.Usually people start smoking either to get over the labor they do or to look cool and gradually they get addicted to that.
To those who don't smoke,they think smoking is a bad habit and simply increasing pictorial warnings would reduce it and eventually people would give up smoking
but the fact is they who smoke know this and are addicted to it. - RE: Should space for pictorial warnings on cigarette packs be increased? -Rohit (04/04/15)
- Those who smoke,they are already aware of the consequences of smoking, therefore increasing space for pictorial warnings on cigarette packs won't bring in a change to
the number of puffs they take in a day.Usually people start smoking either to get over the labor they do or to look cool and gradually they get addicted to that.
To those who don't smoke,they think smoking is a bad habit and simply increasing pictorial warnings would reduce it and eventually people would give up smoking
but the fact is they who smoke know this and are addicted to it. - RE: Should space for pictorial warnings on cigarette packs be increased? -Rohit (04/04/15)
- Those who smoke,they are already aware of the consequences of smoking, therefore increasing space for pictorial warnings on cigarette packs won't bring in a change to
the number of puffs they take in a day.Usually people start smoking either to get over the labor they do or to look cool and gradually they get addicted to that.
To those who don't smoke,they think smoking is a bad habit and simply increasing pictorial warnings would reduce it and eventually people would give up smoking
but the fact is they who smoke know this and are addicted to it. - RE: Should space for pictorial warnings on cigarette packs be increased? -prerana verma (04/04/15)
- yesss!!! pictorial warning must be raised to 80%. pictorial warning wil wean off people using tobacco in long run only as pointd by psycologists, in dat mean tym growers can be skilled fr alternative business. also as pointd out by who dat btwn 2010-2012 dere is 10% rise in tobacco prodn n so even if gov reduce it prevelance by 30% by 2025 it wl no way affect tobacco grower as absolute no of user wl be same...also precarious economical situatn of bidi roller suggest its tym to suggest dem alternative business..
thankuuu - RE: Should space for pictorial warnings on cigarette packs be increased? -dala (04/04/15)
- So, here i say yes. there is a need to extend the pictorial warnings on cigarette packs ,also there are many other ways to demotivate the people who are chronic smokers. Along with the photo graphical warnings on packs the re-habitation methods also can be written or contact information of the doctors or pharmacy's can be printed out on other end .
Now a days the youth and teenagers, fall in the nets of these smoking so , Some age limit for the purchase of these cigarettes can be made to reduce the usage of cigarettes .
Coming to the lower class of our society who cannot afford a complete pack at once may take each of it at once ,So if rules are made to sale the whole pack instead of selling each of them may reduce smokers. This is really a good way to reduce future smokers because a new smoker always has to start with first one and if he takes a pack of 10 and start smoking he will surely feel uncomfortable and may not fall in guilty hands of cigarette smoking.
so I conclude saying more printed photographs should be made with sensible way to demotivate the smokers and implement other ways as i mentioned will reduce usage of smokers in our country.
