CTC calls for immediate implementation of pictorial health warning

Islamabad

“Give priority to health over business; save our children from tobacco! Implement 85% pictorial health warning on cigarette packs immediately.”

This is the call of the Coalition for Tobacco Control Pakistan (CTC-Pak) on World No Tobacco Day. While the world is going for stricter tobacco control policies, the people of Pakistan are still waiting for the government to fulfill its two year-old commitment to implement 85% enhanced Pictorial Health Warning (PHW) on cigarette packs, announced back in January 2015.

“The PHW cautions smokers and all others about the health hazards of tobacco use. However, unfortunately, the decision to introduce enhanced PHW on cigarette packs in public health interest has not been implemented so far. We urge the government to implement the decision immediately in order to protect our youth and children from tobacco,” said Khurram Hashmi, the National Coordinator of CTC-Pak.

Around the world, proven measures to reduce tobacco use have greatly reduced the health and economic costs associated with tobacco. These measures include increased tobacco taxes, large pictorial warning labels on tobacco products, restrictions on tobacco advertising, and bans on smoking in indoor public places. These measures are called for by the world’s first public health treaty, the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which obligates its 180 parties to implement these proven policies to reduce tobacco use.

“Pakistan ratified the FCTC and became a party in 2004. The existing PHW was implemented in 2010 and was supposed to be rotated every year. After five years in 2015, the government took a huge step to protect the youth of Pakistan by enhancing the warning size from 40% to 85%. Tobacco industry always targets new smokers, which is youth. There is a grave need to inform our coming generation of how the industry is playing with their lives,” Khurram stated. The tobacco industry’s deep pockets, skilled lobbying and clever marketing campaigns targeting youth and children remain the greatest obstacle to progress in addressing the devastating global toll of tobacco use.