Fact sharing on graphic health warning

Islamabad :Along with the violation of Graphic Health Warning (GHW) standards, tobacco companies have been indirectly promoting and advertising their products at shops.

These facts were shared at a fact sharing session held by Human Development Foundation (HDF) on Friday. The session was attended by representatives from Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids (CTFK), Society for the Protection of Rights of the Child (SPARC), Pakistan National Heart Association (PANAH), Incision Films and media persons. Parliamentary Secretary for Health Department Dr. Nausheen Hamid was the chief guest on this occasion.

In the event, results of a survey on assessing the current status of Graphic Health Warning (GHW) on tobacco packs were shared. This survey was collaboratively carried out by HDF and SPARC in five main cities of Pakistan namely Islamabad, Lahore, Multan, Karachi and Peshawar. Through this survey, it was found that the tobacco companies have not been following the legal standards required under Pakistan’s tobacco control laws.

Chief Executive Officer HDF Azhar Saleem shared the background of graphic health warning on cigarette packs. He stated that over the decades, numerous research studies have been conducted which endorses the importance and role of graphic health warnings in reducing rate of smoking among users. He said that GHW are a cost effective and wide reaching method of reducing tobacco consumption and creates mass awareness about the health hazards of tobacco use.

Zia ud Din Islam shared the legal status of laws pertaining to graphic health warning on cigarette packs. He stated that in the Cigarettes (Printing and Warning) Ordinance, 1979, the latest S.R.O (KE)/2019 dated 22nd January 2019 has instructed the tobacco companies to implement the new standard of 60% size of GHW on cigarette packs from June 1st, 2019. He stated that the grace period expired on 31st August, 2019 but tobacco companies have not adopted the new standards.

Malik Imran, CTFK representative, said that there is no proper policing for ensuring the effective implementation of tobacco control laws which clearly prohibits tobacco companies from advertising, promoting and sponsoring activities.

Representatives from HDF, SPARC, PANAH and Incision urged the government to adopt plain packaging for all tobacco brands to reduce brand appeal among youth with enhanced graphic health warnings which are effective in reducing the rate of tobacco consumption.