Pakistan: Rotation of Pictorial Health Warnings on Cigarette Packs Urged

Source from:  APP  08/05/2014

The Coalition for Tobacco Control Pakistan (CTC-Pak) has urged the quarters concerned to ensure rotation of pictorial health warnings on cigarette packs.

According to CTC, the government has started taking practical steps to fulfill its international commitments for tobacco control.

However, the tobacco industry's delaying tactics has greatly pushed back the country in respect of compliance with World Health Organisation's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

Pakistan is among the first 40 countries in the world to sign the FCTC according to which comprehensive ban on tobacco products should have been introduced by 2009.

The CTC, in a statement on Monday, said the new tobacco advertising guidelines and warning to a cigarette manufacturing company by the Federal Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination were the steps, which would be helpful for tobacco control in Pakistan.

While appreciating the decisions taken at a recent meeting of the Committee on Tobacco Advertisements Guidelines (CTAG), the Coalition for Tobacco Control-Pakistan (CTC-Pak) also hailed the measures for improved compliance of tobacco controls laws that further restricted the advertisement of tobacco products in print and electronic media.

The last such important step taken by the government itself was the introduction of Pictorial Health Warning (PHW) on cigarette packs back in 2010 with an intention to rotate the warnings on yearly basis with different pictures depicting the hazards associated with tobacco use, it added.

"Since January 2012 to date, we are waiting for the rotation to come into force. Hopefully, now, the issue of rotation will also gain its deserved attention," said the National Coordinator, CTC-Pak.

He said "The global and national tobacco control advocates are looking forward to 2014, not only for enforcement of these guidelines but also long pending interventions such as rotation of pictorial health warnings on cigarette packs and take strict enforcement actions for compliance of laws." Enditem