India's top court says tobacco industry should follow stringent package warning rules

VST Industries

04/05/2016 06:43

NEW DELHI, May 4 (Reuters) - India's Supreme Court on 
Wednesday told the tobacco industry to adhere to rules requiring 
stringent health warnings on cigarette packs, but ordered a 
state high court to hear all pleas challenging the same. 
    The tobacco industry "should not violate any rule prevailing 
as of today," the two-judge bench said, and added that the 
Karnataka high court should hear all pleas challenging the new 
rules. 
    Last month, Indian tobacco companies, some backed by foreign 
"Big Tobacco", shut down production in protest against 
requirements that 85 percent of a cigarette pack's surface be 
covered in health warnings, up from 20 percent. 
    The tobacco industry has taken the government to court, 
saying the rules are impractical and will boost smuggling of 
imported cigarettes. The government backs the stringent rules to 
cut tobacco consumption. 
    Smoking kills more than 1 million people a year in India, 
according to BMJ Global Health. The World Health Organization 
says tobacco-related diseases cost India $16 billion annually. 
 
 (Reporting by Aditya Kalra; Editing by Malini Menon and Douglas 
Busvine) 
 ((malini.menon@thomsonreuters.com; +91 11 4954 8028 / +91 11 
3015 8028; Reuters Messaging: 
malini.menon@thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) 
 
Keywords: INDIA TOBACCO/