Sri Lanka: Majority Back Pictorial Warnings on Cigarette Packs

Source from:  Ceylon Daily News 03/28/2013

A public opinion poll conducted by the Health Ministry and ADIC in March this year revealed that over 90 percent believe that over 80 percent of the cigarette packs should have pictorial warnings on the dangers of oral and other types of cancer, a Health Ministry spokesman said.

The spokesman said the percentage of people who stated that they demand pictorial warnings on cigarette packets is 96.1 percent.

"The opinion poll covered youths, adults, males, females and chain smokers. FCTC, the WHO framework on Tobacco Control, the international framer of laws on tobacco advertising, clearly states that pictorial warnings should be placed on cigarette packets," he said.

Sri Lanka had signed this Convention in 2003. All countries which signed this Convention should implement rules and regulations within five years.

Sri Lanka should have displayed the pictorial warnings on cigarette packets since 2008, the spokesman said.

Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena issued a gazette notification stating the rule should be implemented from March 1, this year.

The Ceylon Tobacco Company filed a court case against this rule.

Of those interviewed between the age group of 15-24, 97 percent of males and 98.2 females said pictorial warning should be carried on cigarette packs covering 80 percent of the packet.

The poll was conducted in Colombo and Gampaha, two of the most populated districts. Of the 506 interviewed, 49.2 percent were males and 50.8 percent females. Meanwhile, 24.5 percent were in the age group of 15-24 and 75.5 percent were above the age of 25, the spokesman said.

The majority were of the view that the pictorial warning should cover at least over 75 percent of the cigarette packet to make an impact on the smoker. Enditem