Cigarettes Warnings Use Pictures Also
The Philippines on Monday joined countries that use picture-based health warnings printed on the packages of tobacco products after the release of the Department of Health (DoH) Administrative Order No. 2010-0013 mandating measures that would prohibit the promotion of tobacco use through packaging and labeling. The policy will become effective 15 days from the publication of the order and covers all tobacco products and tobacco manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, distributors, retailers, concessionaires, and other sellers of tobacco products in the Philippines.
The order aims to “provide necessary information about the health consequences, addictive nature, and mortal threat posed by tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke through measures that are scientifically proven to be effective in increasing public awareness of the health effects of tobacco use and in reducing tobacco consumption.”
It also aims to “protect consumers from deceptive labels, packaging, description and practices related to tobacco use.”
DoH Undersecretary Alexander Padilla said tobacco companies “that have capacity” to immediately print packages that contain the picture-based health warnings have 30 days to comply with the rule. Other companies with no similar capacity have a total of 90 days to comply with the AO.
Lawyer Ipat Luna of Health Justice noted that 92 percent of cigarette trade is already controlled by the merged entity of Fortune Tobacco and Philip Morris Philippines Inc.
“The cigarette packs that are being exported abroad have graphic health warnings that are printed here so local manufacturers have to follow the regulation…We can assure you that this (AO) is constitutional and within the power of the DoH,” she said.
The AO specified that the size of the graphic health information should occupy the upper portions of each tobacco product or package and no less than 30 percent of the front panel and 60 percent of the back panel.
“There shall be a minimum of eight variations of graphic health information that shall appear concurrently within a 24-hour month period. The variations shall appear on an equal number of retail tobacco product packages for each brand and for each package, size and type,” the AO said.
Health officials previously signed an international agreement with the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) that mandates signatories to come up with strategies to eliminate the ill health effects of tobacco use.
The agreement was ratified by the Senate in 2005. One of the requirements of the FCTC is the use of graphic health warnings on tobacco products.
Countries that have successfully implemented this strategy include Singapore,Thailand, Canada, Hong Kong, and Europe.
Health Secretary Esperanza I. Cabral said that while last year government was able to collect P30 billion from tobacco taxes, it and the private sector spent P200 billion for the treatment of smoking-related diseases.
“Our loss or spending for smoking-related illnesses is bigger than the taxes,” she said.
Cabral noted that the government has collected P6 billion worth of excise tax from tobacco products that should have been diverted to the formulation of alternative livelihood for tobacco farmers in Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, La Union and Abra.
Cabral asked the Philippine Tobacco Authority (PTA) to fulfill its obligations to tobacco farmers in developing livelihood alternatives.
Meanwhile, Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III said Monday he will give up his smoking habit “at the appropriate time.”
Aquino, in an interview with Senate reporters, pointed out that people were already aware of his smoking habit before he joined the presidential race.
“At the appropriate time na pwedeng hintuin ko na, hihintuin ko po (when I am ready to quit, I will quit),” he said.
Aquino said what is important is that he is conforming to the law and would not subject himself to other “unnecessary” pressure.
“So long as nagko-conform po ako sa mga batas at wala po akong nadidisturbo, baka naman ho parte na nung kalayaan ko, bahagya ang natitira,” Aquino said.
“Maraming pressure ho tayong papasukan, dadagdagan ko pa nang unnecessary pressure baka naman maapektuhan yung mga desisyon na kailangan natin gawin,” he said.
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