Antismoking pics on packs pushed

By:Christine O. Avendao-@inquirerdotnet

Philippine Daily Inquirer/ 02:46 AM June 03, 2014

Tobacco control crusaders on Monday came to the Senate to push for the immediate passage of the Picture-based Health Warning Act of 2014, which will require tobacco companies to place pictures or graphics on cigarette packs to warn of the hazards of smoking, similar to these printed on the cigarette packets on sale in Bangkok, Thailand. AP PHOTO/APICHART WEERAWONG

MANILA, Philippines-With sales down following the imposition of the sin tax on cigarettes, antismoking advocates now want pictures or graphics depicting the hazards to the health of smoking prominently displayed on cigarette packs.

Tobacco control crusaders on Monday came to the Senate to push for the immediate passage of the Picture-based Health Warning Act of 2014, which will require tobacco companies to place pictures or graphics on cigarette packs to warn of the hazards of smoking.

Senate Bill No. 27 is set to be voted on second reading this week after the measure took on several amendments, some not to the liking of the tobacco-control advocates, last week.

Sen. Pia Cayetano said she expected the measure to pass on the third reading before Congress adjourns on June 11.

"In all my years of being its main advocate in the Senate, this is the first time the graphic health warning bill has reached this stage. I am happy and excited and admittedly still quite surprised by how far we have come," Cayetano said in a statement on Monday.

At a news briefing at the Senate, representatives from Health Justice and the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (Seatca) called on Congress to ensure that the pictures and graphics on the cigarette packs are big and displayed on the tops of the packs and not at the bottom as proposed by tobacco manufacturers.

Patrick Lozano, who represents the youth in the group, showed reporters a sample of a cigarette pack with the graphics placed at the bottom. Lozano said the graphics could not be seen when one held the pack.

More effective

Dr. Ulysses Doroteo of Seatca said studies showed that cigarette packs with graphic warnings were more effective than just text warnings in preventing young people from smoking.

Doroteo said they hoped Congress would be able to keep the size of the pictures and graphics to between 50 percent and 80 percent of the tops of packs.

He said that among the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, so far, Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam had picture health warnings on cigarette packs sold in those countries.

Thailand has the largest picture health warning on cigarette packs with 80 percent of the front of the pack covered.

Doroteo said that 70 countries had already complied with the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTO), which requires, among other things, the use of health warnings on tobacco packs and labels. The Philippines signed the FCTO in 2005.

"We are six years behind compliance," he said.

Doroteo and Irene Reyes of Health Justice also hoped the Senate would not allow a proposal that would see the government consulting tobacco firms when firming up guidelines for the measure.

Also pushing for the immediate passage of the measure was Emil Roxas, president of New Voice of the Philippines, who lost his voice to lung cancer.

Roxas, speaking through an electronic device he held to his throat, said he started smoking when he was 17, and cigarette packs did not carry pictures or warnings against smoking.

Graphic images coming on cigarette packs

Deyalsingh: Bid to discourage smokers

• Ria Taitt
• Feb 9, 2021UpdatedFeb 10, 2021

Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh

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Get ready to see graphic pictures of the "real and uncensored effects" of smoking on the human body pasted on cigarette packs.

The graphic images will include pictures of mouths with oral cancer, people with amputated toes, and people with throat cancer who can't speak and have to use voice boxes, Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said as he piloted a motion to approve the Tobacco Control Amendment Regulations.

WITCO (West Indian Tobacco Company) will be given one year following the passage to start displaying the images on its products. Deyalsingh said he expected the rollout by February 2022.

He said the effects of smoking included lung cancer, impotence, blindness, stillbirths, which occur when women smoke during pregnancy ("which is a problem in Trinidad and Tobago"), oral disease, and gangrene.

Deyalsingh said smoking was not only a burden on families and caused deaths, but it was also a financial burden on the taxpayers who had to shell out $500,000 to treat one lung cancer patient.

"That is what this free public healthcare system does. Think about the cost of that and what that money could have been used for if we did not have all these individuals smoke," said the Minister.

He said between January 2013 and December 2017, there were 641 deaths from lung cancer mainly due to smoking, and that most of these deaths occurred in the 50-64 age group, "when people are in the prime of their lives".

"We are here to give affirmative resolution to put graphic warning pictures on cigarette packs," the Minister stated.

He said cigarettes contain more than 4,000 harmful chemicals, including acetone, cyanuric acid, methanol, turpentine, methanol, arsenic, lead, DDT, insecticide, and carbon monoxide.

The main purpose was to prevent tobacco use and abuse by children, regulate tobacco use by individuals, and enhance public awareness of the hazards of tobacco use. He said the Government had to protect the children of the nation, not only to discourage them from smoking but from the deleterious effects of second-hand smoke.

Saying that most smokers around the world fell into the less educated, low-income group, Deyalsingh said. The government hoped that the graphic images would discourage people from smoking, especially that part of the population which is most vulnerable to the marketing techniques of cigarette manufacturers.

The minister said he used to smoke in primary school until his mother found out and "put the cut-tail of my life" on him.

Qs 1: What Challenges do you anticipate that marketers are facing due to the legislation passed about pictorial warnings on cigarette packets?