Court Approves Bigger Cigarette Warnings

[Flashermac]

All cigarette packaging in Thailand will have to feature large pictorial health warnings by September 23, after the Supreme Administrative Court ruled in support of a new regulation by the Public Health Ministry.

 

In line with the regulation, pictorial warnings must now cover at least 85 per cent of space on the two largest sides of each package.

 

Earlier, a tobacco firm had managed to put a brake on the measures by seeking an injunction from the Central Administrative Court.

 

The Supreme Administrative Court, however, decided to scrap the injunction on the grounds that the Public Health Ministry has proceeded with proper procedures and introduced the regulation to protect people's health.

 

"The court has also taken into account the fact that tobacco entrepreneurs should be able to comply with the regulation," the ministry's permanent secretary Dr Narong Sahametapat said yesterday.

 

The regulation has now taken immediate effect upon the cancellation of the injunction.

 

There will be a 90-day grace period for retailers to clear their existing stock of cigarettes, according to Nopporn Cheanklin, deputy director general of the Disease Control Department.

 

Currently, cigarette packages have pictorial warning that cover about 55 per cent of packets. After the grace period, companies that fail to abide by the new regulation will face a fine.

 

According to Nopporn, cigarette manufacturers and importers are liable to face a maximum fine of Bt100,000 if they defy the regulation. Retailers who sell cigarettes with the smaller size warnings will face a fine of up to Bt20,000.

 

About 70 countries now require cigarette packages to display pictorial warnings. The pictures, which communicate adverse impacts from smoking, are thought to make a more forceful impact on consumers than written warnings which were used in the past.

 

 

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Court-approves-bigger-cigarette-warnings-30237294.html

[bust]

Huge ....

[Guest]

You can have any brand you want as long as the packet is brown in Australia.

 

The next step in time will be to make all tobacco products illegal, of course revenue will be lost but this can easily be made up by an increase in tax for everyone.

[Mekong]

40% Package coverage over here in Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

 

My question is, as a smoker who has been smoking since mid teens, what does this messaging achieve?

 

99.9% of the time I do not see the packet they are in my pocket, hand in pocket extract the pack so my hand is covering over 50% of the packet to begin with, get a smoke and then put the pack back in my pocket.

 

I honestly pay no attention to the on packet health warnings, I know that smoking is not a healthy habit, some may even say anti-social, but I try not to be offensive, I don't even smoke in my own home out of respect for the wife, I go and sit on the balcony for my nicotine intake. I am a right grumpy bastard at the best of times so don't take my nicotine away from me.

 

One has to question what good this new ruling will do, I cannot remember when but a few years ago the "Retail Display Ban" came into effect in Thailand therefore the packaging cannot even be seen at the Point of Sale so how can this new bigger warning deter people if it is not even on public display?

 

Think about it, when was the last time a non smoker actually saw a packet of cigarettes? No visual display at POS, smoking is banned in Bars and Restaurants (something I agree with) so packets are not on view on tables, most smokers I know keep the packet in their pocket, man bag or handbag anyway. One would have to be a right nosey bastard to even notice that the Health warning coverage had increased from 70% to 85% on a packet, talk about introducing rules for no reason.

 

I am all for removing Tobacco Sponsorship / Advertising from the TV screens, it was only a few years ago when Mc Claren F1 racing team were linked with Malboro, the Honda GP team with Lucky Red Stripe, World Snooker Championship was Embassy etc etc.

 

OK Wound up enough time to go out onto balcony for a smoke.

[bust]

I think it is as much about not starting as it is about stopping

[Mekong]

How will larger images discourage starting when non visible at POS?

[The_Munchmaster]

They should make the cigarette packets twice as big and then they could get even bigger images on them.

[bust]

How will larger images discourage starting when non visible at POS?

Hang on let me set-up a think tank on it and I will get back to you