Recognizing how countries that were implementing strong tobacco control measures, were also confronted with stiff opposition from tobacco industry, this official WCTOH conference declaration also said "The delegates at WCTOH affirm their support to all countries that have passed or are considering adopting plain packaging or graphic health warnings covering more than 85 percent including India, Pakistan and Nepal and ask them to stand firm against tobacco industry pressure."
Pictorial health warnings - a controversial flashpoint
"Tobacco packaging designs have become a controversial flashpoint in the ongoing struggle between the tobacco industry and countries seeking to support public health simply because package design is so effective at influencing consumers' decisions to, buy or not buy, tobacco products. In 2012 the tobacco industry spent $9.17 billion on advertising cigarettes in the USA alone -- so it's clearly an investment that pays dividends," said Dr Ehsan Latif, Director of the Department of Tobacco Control at the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union). "As bans on overt marketing of tobacco products spread across the globe, tobacco packaging is one of the only platforms left for the industry to promote their deadly products. That's why the industry is fighting so hard against the excellent new laws that commandeer this space for public health."
Evidence shows that effective health warnings -- including large and shocking pictures and strong clear language -- motivate smokers to quit and discourage non-smokers from starting. "The graphic element vastly increases a warning's impact and is vital for communicating with young people and in areas with low literacy rates," says Dr Latif. "These warnings work. In Brazil, two-thirds of smokers said they made them want to quit, and, in Singapore, 71 percent said they now knew more about the health effects of smoking."
Dr Tara Singh Bam, The Union's Technical Advisor on Tobacco Control, said to Citizen News Service (CNS): "During the past year, India, Pakistan and Nepal have introduced laws that require graphic health warnings to cover 85 percent of the surface area of tobacco packaging. Nepal's law requires 90 percent coverage. These countries now face increasing pressure from the tobacco industry to delay and water down this legislation, which are slated to be the strongest in the world."
Countries should adapt plain-packaging now!
Now that so-called standardised or plain packaging -- packs without branding, a standardised unappealing colour, and large warnings in both picture and text -- have been proven to work in Australia, several new countries have committed to introduce similar legislation. Two years after Australia's 2012 introduction of plain packs, cigarette consumption was found to have dropped by 12.8 percent.
"Australia has been taken to court repeatedly by the tobacco industry since plain packs were introduced. Now the UK and Ireland, who have just passed similar laws, are being taken to court too," said Dr Latif. "Just as in India, Nepal and Pakistan, Big Tobacco is taking action against governments that are exercising their sovereign right to protect the health of their people. Countries around the world must unite and coordinate efforts to swiftly end the tobacco industry's tactics to delay this vital work."
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