Must Have Bigger Pictorial Warnings on Tobacco Products: Rajasthan Court

Jaipur:  The Rajasthan High Court has ordered the Centre to ensure that larger pictorial warnings are carried on all tobacco products. The Centre has time till October 29 to implement the order.

In case of violation, the Heath secretary will face contempt charges, the court said.

In March, the Centre had indefinitely delayed the implementation of bigger pictorial warnings after a parliamentary committee had asked for more time to take a decision on the matter.

The committee cited a letter by BJP lawmaker Shyama Charan Gupta, which said beedis were not harmful since they were a natural product and contained very little tobacco.

In his letter, Mr Gupta, who is also a beedi baron, further said there was no medical evidence that beedis caused cancer.

But in July, citing larger public interest, the court had directed the Centre to immediately implement bigger warnings.

Today, the High Court refused to vacate that order.