Supreme Court Orders 85% Pictorial Warnings On Tobacco Products

New Delhi: The Supreme Court ordered that Tobacco products should now carry 85% pictorial warnings as a central notification comes into effect from Friday all over India. The tobacco industry "should not violate any rule prevailing as of today," the two-judge bench said, and added that the Karnataka high court should hear all pleas challenging the new rules. Last month, the Delhi government banned at the tobacco products like Gutka, cigarette in the capital. The government is struggling hard to cut tobacco consumption. Smoking kills more than 1 million people a year in India, according to BMJ Global Health. The World Health Organization says tobacco-related diseases cost India $16 billion annually.