As the first anniversary of Beijing’s indoor tobacco ban, the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for the success of the Beijing program to be extended to the rest of China.
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Matter of packagingPlain or standardised packaging means branding and promotional information is removed from the tobacco packs, which carry graphic health warnings, tiresome colour combinations, a brand name and a product and manufacturer’s name in standardised font.
Nadda said as per the World Health Organisation (WHO), the use of tobacco is a major risk factor for four major non-communicable diseases (NCDs) namely cardio-vascular disease, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory disease and curbing tobacco use is one of the targets under the Sustainable Development Goals to reduce NDCs.
Pictures warning the public of the health dangers posed by cigarettes may also be included on packets in future, along with the current verbal health warnings, said Joe Maila, spokesman for Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi.
Tobacco giant Philip Morris suffered its latest legal setback in December when a Singapore court determined it had no jurisdiction to hear a case brought by Philip Morris Asia Ltd. “Plain packaging helps reveal the grim reality of tobacco products”.
The WHO says the aesthetic impact of plain packaging is significant as studies show that it has a tangible effect on the desirability of tobacco products.
“Any proposal to implement plain packaging in India on the back of the extreme 85 per cent pictorial warnings will be a further assault on the Intellectual Property Rights of legal manufacturers and promote the cause of smuggled foreign brands”, TII said.
It added that the plain packaging was an important demand reduction measure since it “reduces the attractiveness of tobacco products, restricts use of tobacco packaging as a form of tobacco advertising and promotion, limits misleading packaging and labelling, and increases the effectiveness of health warning”.
There are now 320 million regular smokers in China, making it the world’s biggest tobacco consumer.
The legislation had been on hold after tobacco companies tried to sue the Australian government, after it introduced it in 2012 – but previous year the legal challenge failed. Our commitment to addressing the tobacco epidemic must be renewed. Plain packaging was supported by Labour.
“Although the district has seen the levels of smoking decrease over the last few years, the smoking rate is still higher than the national average”, she said.
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“The CSC strongly advocates against smoking because it does not only put the smoker’s health in danger but it also poses harm to the environment”, said CSC Commissioner Robert S. Martinez.
