Pakistan: Notices Issued to Tobacco Companies for Illegal Promotions

Source from:  The News (pk)  03/19/2014

The Ministry of National Health, Services, Regulations and Coordination (NHSRC) on Monday issued show cause notices to three cigarette manufacturing companies for continuous violations of 'The Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non-Smokers Ordinance 2002.'

According to a press release issued by the ministry, these companies were advertising their brands through different means including shop fascias, free sampling, and consumer incentive schemes, all of which are a violation of the country's anti-tobacco law.

Taking notice of the violations, the government has issued show cause notices to Philip Morris Pakistan, Universal Tobacco, and Saleem Cigarette Industries/New Kashmir Tobacco.

The companies have been directed to stop all such promotional activities and to submit written replies as to why legal action should not be initiated against them.

The Ministry of Health SRO 53(KE)/2009 and SRO 882(1)2007 issued under section 7 of the Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non-Smokers Ordinance 2002 stipulates that free goods, cash rebates, free samples, discounts, and goods below market value shall not be offered for the purpose of advertisement of tobacco or tobacco products to consumers. The SRO also imposes a ban on affixation of tobacco advertisement boards (of more than one square foot) on shops. It is also mandatory for tobacco companies to print a health warning covering no less than 1/5th of total advertisement board. All the three companies to which show cause notices have been issued are openly violating these laws, and are actively engaged in the promotion of their respective brands.

The Ministry of NHSRC, it may be recalled, had approved new guidelines on December 31, 2013 to curb violations of tobacco advertising regulations. Although there was no need for new rules as the old guidelines would have been just as effective if implemented in real earnest, the new set of guidelines will nonetheless be effective from May 31, 2014.

At the end of the day, maintaining a check on tobacco advertising primarily depends on ensuring effective compliance of tobacco control regulations, which is currently nowhere to be seen. Enditem