The Court Of Appeal has today(12) permitted Health Ministry to print pictorial warnings on Cigarette Packs covering 50-60% of the pack’s surface indicating health hazards causes by tobacco. earlier government has seeking court to giving permission to print pictorial warnings covering 80% of the Cigarette Packet surface.
However the tobacco companies filed the case last year against the decision to print pictorial warnings that covering 80% of Cigarette Packet Surface .it has learnt that the health authorities too agreed with the tobacco companies secretly last year to print pictorial warnings on cigarette packs covering 50 or 60% of the pack surface although they have told the media that they are expecting a court verdict for 80% coverage.
The Government has issued a special gazette notification on 08th of August 2012 by making compulsory to print eight graphic warnings on Cigarette Packs.the parliament too has unanimously passed three regulations under the national tobacco and alcohol act on 19th of February this year to print pictorial warnings on Cigarette Packs covering 80% of the
area .
The Ceylon Tobacco Company a subsidiary of British American Tobacco has filed the case against the decision of covering 80% of Cigarette Pack area with pictorial warnings .
