Advisory not enough? Why India is weighing mandatory cough syrup warnings for kids
India is considering mandatory warning labels on cough syrups after complaints that the medicines continued to be prescribed to infants despite a 2025 DGHS advisory. The proposal calls for a red warning and school-age children imagery on bottles.
India is contemplating mandatory warning labels on cough syrup bottles for children under the age of four, following a government advisory that previously cautioned against prescribing such medicines to very young children. The proposal, discussed at a meeting chaired by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) on September 18, 2025, suggests a prominent red warning stating that cough syrup should not be used in children below four years of age.
Additionally, the label would feature a pictorial depiction of school-age children to emphasize the intended age group for the medication. This move follows repeated complaints about the administration of cough and cold formulations to infants, despite an advisory issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) in October 2025, which recommended against prescribing or dispensing these medicines to children below two years of age.
Brief written by urgent.news from Live Mint's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.