APTRA to address Indian duty-free tobacco health warnings

Andrew Pentol

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The TFWA Asia Pacific exhibition will be a crucial opportunity for stakeholders to address the potentially damaging development

The Asia Pacific Travel Retail Association (APTRA) is to meet tobacco suppliers at this month’s TFWA Asia Pacific show in Singapore after the Indian government announced it is to introduce mandatory health warnings for cigarettes sold in Indian duty-free.

Tobacco manufacturers originally had until May 1 to implement the warnings on all cigarette packaging, but were given extra time owing to the complexity of the task. The warnings were set to take the form of graphic images, but they will not now be as big as first planned. The warnings are likely to affect the sale of cigarettes in duty-free, industry campaigners fear.

Media reports also suggest that duty-free tobacco sales in Russia could be restricted or prohibited after the government ratified the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control on April 11. If the reports are accurate, tobacco producers will have to pay higher taxes and end tobacco advertising, while the price of cigarettes will also rise.