Lok Sabha Question No. 757 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-07-24
Subject: Depiction of Ingredients on Tobacco Packaging
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: C.R. CHAUDHARY

**GOVERNMENT OF INDIA**

**MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE**

**DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE**

**LOK SABHA**

**UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.757**

**TO BE ANSWERED ON 24** **TH** **JULY, 2015**

**Depiction of Ingredients on Tobacco Packaging**

**757. SHRI C.R. CHAUDHARY:**

Will the Minister of **HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE** be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has laid down provisions for depiction of tobacco/ nicotine contents and other ingredients on packages of cigarettes and other tobacco products being marketed in the country and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether the Government has notified the aforesaid provisions, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;

(c) whether the existing infrastructure to test tobacco products are adequate, if so, the details thereof and if not, the steps being taken by the Government for creating the requisite institutional capacity for testing tobacco products in the country, State/UT-wise; and

(d) the steps taken/proposed by the Government for compulsory depiction of contents/ingredients on packages of cigarettes and other tobacco products?

**ANSWER**

**THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE**

**(SHRI JAGAT PRAKASH NADDA)**

(a) to (d):  Section 7 (5) of the Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 (COTPA) provides for the following

*“…..No person shall, directly or indirectly, produce, supply or distribute cigarettes or any other tobacco products unless every package of cigarettes or any other tobacco products produced, supplied or distributed by him indicates thereon, or on its label, the nicotine and tar contents on each cigarette or as the case may be on other tobacco products along with the maximum permissible limits thereof:”*

However, the said section has not been notified in the absence of adequate testing facilities for tobacco products. Only limited testing facilities are available to test tobacco products with the Food and Drug laboratories.

The following steps have been undertaken by the Government for depiction of            contents /ingredients on tobacco product packages:

1. Five existing  labs ( 1 Apex and 4 regional testing labs) have been identified whose capacity will be augmented to undertake the task of tobacco product testing. The details  of the labs are at ANNEXURE.
2. Technical Specification Committee has been constituted and it has finalised the technical specifications of the major equipments for the labs for central procurement.
3. An expert team from the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare  including a Central Design Bureau Architect has visited the identified laboratories and prepared recommended out-lay designs.
4. A project proposal identifying the equipments, manpower and budget requirements and activities therein to be taken up for the project etc has been finalised.
5. The Ministry constituted a Committee in 2014 to review and suggest amendments to the Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 (COTPA). The Committee  has recommended the following:

1. Do away with the mandatory provision of depiction of tar and nicotine contents with maximum permissible limit on packages of tobacco products.
2. replace the term nicotine and tar with “constituents and emissions”.
3. Disclose periodically and upon request the constituents and emissions on tobacco products to government in a prescribed manner.

**ANNEXURE**

| **Phase**   | **Name and Details of the Laboratory**                                                                                                                      | **Status: Apex/Regional**   |
|-------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------|
| Phase I     | Food Research and Standardization Laboratory (FRSL), Ghaziabad, Indirapuram, Ahinsa Khand-II, Near CISF, Ghaziabad-201014                                   | Apex                        |
| Phase I     | Regional Drug Testing Laboratory, Sixth Mile, Khanapara, Guwahati-781037, Assam                                                                             | Regional                    |
| Phase I     | Central Drugs Testing Laboratory-Mumbai,  Government Medical Stores Depot Compound, Belasis Road, Opp. Sahil Hotel, Mumbai Central, Mumbai 400008           | Regional                    |
| Phase II    | Central Drug Testing Laboratory, Hyderabad,CDSCO, Zonal office Hyderabad CDSCO BHAVAN, Beside T.B. & Demonstration Centre,  S.R. Nagar, Hyderabad - 500038, | Regional                    |
| Phase II    | Regional Drug Testing Laboratory, Chandigarh Sector 39C, Sector 39, Chandigarh, 160036                                                                      | Regional                    |