Committee of Group of Ministers (GoM) constituted for compulsory printing of pictorial-warnings on packs of tobacco products has deliberately ignored the warnings of the Union Health Secretary against not including box, carton, tin, wrappers or other containers for printing such warnings. They argue that these packing materials do not fall under the definition of ‘Packaging’ in the Act that imposes the printing of such statutory warnings. Even the Union government has exempted wholesale-packs of cigarettes from the compulsion of printing pictorial-warnings. Anyway the print-area and design of pictorial-warnings are far more inconspicuous than Ramadoss had wanted. All this has lead to speculation that a powerful tobacco-lobby affects government-decisions.

If the Union government is at all sincere controlling smoking, it should follow sensible countries like Bhutan and Ireland by imposing a complete ban on the manufacture and sale of cigarettes in the country. If self-regulation is their policy to check human evils, then the Union Government should withdraw attempt-to-suicide from the Indian Penal Code. Likewise using helmets by scooter drivers should also be made self-regulatory rather than being forced as compulsory.