The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Bill 2003
(Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution)


The Tobacco Control legislation has come into force from 1 st May 2004 . The government has made a notification in the gazette of India dated 25.2.2004 bringing the following provisions into force. These provisions are applicable to the whole of India

1. Prohibition of Smoking in public places
2. Prohibition of advertisement of cigarette and other tobacco products
3. Prohibition of sale of cigarette and other tobacco products to a person below the age of 18 years

Prohibition of Smoking in public places:

Smoking is strictly prohibited in a public place. “Public Place” means any place to which the public has access and includes auditorium, health institutions, hospital buildings, railway waiting room, amusement centers, restaurants, public offices, court buildings, educational institution, libraries, public conveyances, open auditoriums and the like which are visited by general public but does not include any open space.


Prohibition of advertisement of cigarette and other tobacco products

Direct and indirect advertisement, sponsorship and promotion of cigarette and other tobacco products is strictly prohibited.

Prohibition of sale of cigarette and other tobacco products to a person below the age of 18 years

Sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products to any person below the age of 18 years is probhited.


Violation of any of these provisions is a punishable offence

Tobacco products under this act include cigarette, cigars, cheroots, Beedis, Cigarette tobacco, pipe tobacco and hookah tobacco, chewing tobacco, snuff and pan masala or any chewing material having tobacco as one of its ingredients
(with whatever name called.) gutkha and tooth powder containing tobacco




Pictorial Health Warnings on
Tobacco products packaging

The pictorial specific health warning on tobacco products has been notified on July 5, 2006 and has to be implemented by February 2007. The specified health warnings are:

For smoking forms of tobacco packs:
(a) Tobacco kills 2500 Indians everyday
2.1 (a)	2.1 (a)
(b) Your smoking kills babies
2.1 (b)	2.1 (b)
SKULL & BONE SIZE	Length = 1.2 cm x Width = 1 cm
HEALTH WARNING	Length = 1.1 x Width = 4 cm
PICTURE SIZE	Length = 2.4 cm x Width =2 cm
HEALTH MESSAGE	Length = 2.4 cm x Width =2 cm

For chewing/smokeless forms of tobacco packages:
(a) Tobacco causes slow and painful death
2.2 (a)	2.2 (a)
(b) Tobacco causes mouth cancer
2.2 (b)	2.2 (b)
SKULL & BONE SIZE	Length = 1.2 cm x Width = 1 cm
HEALTH WARNING	Length = 1.1 x Width = 4 cm
PICTURE SIZE	Length = 2.4 cm x Width =2 cm
HEALTH MESSAGE	Length = 2.4 cm x Width =2 cm