Although Mumbai Supreme Court ruled that all tobacco products should bear pictorial health warnings on the packs, the majority of tobacco companies do not comply with these regulations. In accordance with a research accomplished by a non-governmental organization Aparajita Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI), the overwhelming part of tobacco products (more than 80 percent) that are currently selling in Indian shops lack health warning labels.

The research sponsored by World Health Organization branch in India, found out that many companies that sell cigarettes, and local tobacco products -bidi, khaini and gutkha, failed to place pictorial labels depicting severe health complications related to smoking.

In addition, even if the warnings had been placed, they have been regarded by experts as dull, inefficient and do not meet with the requirements of paying attention to health risks.

However, a small part of tobacco companies still managed to place appropriate health warnings on the packs of their products. In conformity with the 2008 amendment to the Packing and Labelling regulations, which became valid on June 1st 2009, all tobacco products subject to sales across India should have warning labels on them, showing images of lungs of a smoker died due to lung cancer and other.

The research as well demonstrated that there have been no enforcement and monitoring the compliance with the regulations. Indian tobacco industry is very careless in compliance with the ruling of the Indian Supreme Court. On the majority of products, the health warning labels cover up to 20 percent of the packs instead of required 40 percent, the research mentioned. “There has been absolutely no enforcement or at least monitoring of the tobacco product, the local authorities are not interested in requiring the tobacco industry to comply with the law in an appropriate manner,” admitted Joseph Mirza, vice chairman of VHAI.

The law requiring tobacco industry to place health warnings was sought by Indian health advocates and voluntary organizations a long time ago. As 40 percent of all population in the country smokes on regular basis, there has been a strong necessity to implement measures to reduce the dramatic smoking rates, as many smokers are simply not aware of health hazards related to tobacco consumption.

Prof. Ashraf G. Singh, head of National Cancer Research Institute, said that cancer is a preventable disease and therefore, the rate of Indians suffering from the disease could be reduced including by placing pictorial warnings, because some smokers can be illiterate but they would definitely see the pictures and think twice before lighting up a new cigarette.

So, after the authorities finally implemented the corresponding laws, it is up to the local police agents to enforce the compliance with that law. Mumbai Police officer Vijay Paes said they have been planning several raids to the warehouses of those tobacco companies who had violated the rules and would seize the goods that would fail to comply with the regulations.