New Delhi, Aug 25 - Several tobacco companies across India are not carrying the mandatory pictorial warning, a new survey has revealed.

The Advocacy Forum for Tobacco Control (AFTC) said that 60 tobacco product packages from nine states manufactured on or after May 31, 2009, were analysed. These products were purchased from retail sale outlets from July 15, 2009, onwards, considering that the already existing old stock of products available in the market would need a period of 4-6 weeks to be exhausted.

The survey found that even 60 days after the law on pictorial warnings came into force, a majority of the tobacco packs either do not display any pictorial warnings or the warnings displayed are not in conformity with the rules.

The survey found that the size of the pictorial warning is much smaller than the government designated 40 percent of the pack. Of the 60 products analysed, 25 brands of gutka, 10 brands of khaini and two brands of bidi carry smaller warnings.

At least five cigarette brands and four chewing tobacco brands have misleading descriptions on the pack.