Pakistan to enlarge pictorial warning on cigarette packs
By IANSTuesday, November 23, 2010
ISLAMABAD - The Pakistan government will increase the size of the pictorial health warning on cigarette packets from 30 to 50 percent, a media report said Tuesday.
The size of the text message on cigarette packets will also be increased from the existing 10 percent, following the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) of the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The move is to educate smokers, mainly the youth, about the hazardous effects of smoking on their health, as they are being targeted by the tobacco industry, said The News International newspaper.
Officials said young people are especially exposed to print and electronic media and smoking is sometimes presented as a casual activity in TV programmes. About 1,200 boys and girls under 18 years of age take up smoking every day.
They added that tobacco laws are also being revised to check on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.
Tobacco kills about 100,000 people annually in Pakistan with 274 deaths daily. In addition, 5,000 people are hospitalised with tobacco-related diseases every day.
