{
  "id": 8416327,
  "title": "Advisory not enough? Why India is weighing mandatory cough syrup warnings for kids",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/19/advisory-not-enough-why-india-is-weighing-mandatory-cough-syrup",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-19T08:05:44.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Live Mint",
    "slug": "live-mint",
    "url": "https://www.livemint.com/news/india/advisory-not-enough-why-india-is-weighing-mandatory-cough-syrup-warnings-for-kids-11789804793361.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "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.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}