Supreme Court favours 85 percent pictorial warning on tobacco packs

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the Karnataka High Court's order that had quashed the rule for 85 percent pictorial warning on tobacco packs.

The top court, in December 2017, while hearing a petition challenging the Karnataka High Court's order, declined interim orders on a question of pictorial warnings on cigarette packets.

The top court asked the Karnataka High Court to upload a copy of its judgment, adding that, 'urgency in the matter is understandable but no decision till detailed judgment is available'.

The Karnataka High Court on December 15 quashed a 2014 amendment stating that both sides of a cigarette packet should have 85 percent statutory warning.

Earlier in 2016, the Supreme Court had reminded tobacco makers of their duty to society and to carry pictorial warnings spread over 85 percent of both sides of their packaging as mandated under the government's amended 2014 rules, staying a Karnataka High Court order that had prevented implementation of these rules.

The earlier 2008 rules required pictorial warnings on just 40 percent of the packaging on one side.