First, there is the issue of health warnings:
India's health ministry has ordered government agencies to enforce a new rule for bigger health warnings on cigarette packs, stepping up a fight against the country's $10 billion cigarette industry that has shut down its factories in protest.
The health ministry's action highlights a growing conflict between the tobacco industry and the federal government which wants manufacturers to cover 85 percent of a cigarette pack's surface in health warnings, up from 20 percent.
India's biggest cigarette maker ITC Ltd, part-owned by British American Tobacco, has not implemented the government order, saying it contradicts a parliamentary committee's recommendation for warnings to cover half a cigarette pack.
And now there is a ban on chewing tobacco:
The Delhi government ordered the prohibition of the sale, purchase and possession of all forms of chewable tobacco, saying violators can be imprisoned for up to six months and fined up to 300,000 rupees.
Chewable tobacco products reportedly cause 90 per cent of all mouth cancers in India. Tobacco manufacturers won a court stay against earlier bans, but public awareness about the risks has grown and the New Delhi government has vowed to enforce the new ban, which was welcomed by health activists and doctors after it was announced last week.
The tobacco leaves are typically mixed with lime and betel nut, a mild natural stimulant that produces a bright red juice and has been used for centuries across the South Asian continent. Indians place the concoction inside their mouths for an extended period, increasing their oral cancer risk. Tobacco bits, perfumed betel nut powder and flavoring are sold in small plastic pouches, making it easy to carry and consume.
Presumably these actions will give rise to litigation somewhere; it remains to be seen if it is through international economic law agreements.
