Come September, tobacco packs to feature 'Quitline' number

April 04, 2018 15:55

Come September, all tobacco products and cigarette packs will have a national toll-free number printed on them to assist users quit addiction, besides warnings, including enhanced pictorial images and text messages, covering 85 per cent of the packet area.

The new warnings will come into effect on September 1.

The text messages that will be printed on the packs are "tobacco causes painful death" and "tobacco causes cancer".

The quitline number - 1800-11-2356 - will also be printed on the packs.

The quitline number is a dedicated toll-free number to help tobacco users receive free support and guidance to subdue their addiction.

The aim is to amplify the message and highlight the ill-effects of tobacco consumption, a health ministry official said.

"For smoking and smokeless forms of tobacco products, the words 'TOBACCO CAUSES CANCER' and the words 'TOBACCO CAUSES PAINFUL DEATH' shall appear in white font colour on a red background, and the words 'QUIT TODAY CALL 1800-11-2356' shall appear in white font colour on a black background," according to the notification.

The government recently introduced a quitline number looking at the results of Global Adult Tobacco Survey report of 2017, which indicated that 62 per cent of cigarette smokers, 54 per cent of bidi smokers and 46 per cent of smokeless tobacco users thought of quitting because of pictorial warning labels on tobacco products.

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