‘Pictorial warnings on tobacco products ineffective’

Apr 4 (PTI) New Delhi, The Union Health Ministry today admitted that the present pictorial warnings on tobacco products have not been effective as people did not understand their message of caution.

The Ministry is also in consultation with the Agriculture Ministry to find a way out in persuading tobacco farmers to move to another crop in its bid to contain tobacco use, Keshav Desiraju, Additional Secretary in Union Health Ministry, told reporters here.

A pilot study is underway in Andhra Pradesh in this regard, he said.

“We are working on improving pictorial warnings.

People did not understand that the picture of ‘scorpion’ was meant to show that consuming tobacco is dangerous. Similar was the case in the image of X-Ray.

“In some cases, we got the feedback that the image was not clear. Globally, evidence shows that pictorial warnings work and act as a deterrent,” he said.