<strong>China: Cigarette Package Double Standard</strong>

Source from:  ecns.cn  03/05/2014

The Beijing Consumer Association (BCA) is considering filing a public interest litigation suit against domestic tobacco companies that fail to use images and caveats to warn smokers about the dangers, the Beijing News reported.

According to the BCA, tobacco companies have applied a double standard in the packaging of cigarettes in foreign and domestic markets, which could infringe upon Chinese consumers' right to information and safety. On boxes of cigarettes exported to overseas markets, the package is often printed with large and graphic photographs of rotting teeth and damaged lungs, whereas the cigarette packages sold in China allow only a tiny space for anti-smoking warnings.

According to the World Health Organization, warning images should cover at least 30 percent of the exterior of cigarette packaging. Enditem