Neighboring Countries with Graphic Health Warning.
Last box translation: Philippines, When? Wake Up!
Last box translation: Philippines, When? Wake Up!
Filipinos cannot relate with cigarette pack warnings as a result of English-only textual health warning labels. Recent studies showed that many smokers still do not know that tobacco causes disease and premature death. Over 90% know little beyond a vague notion that “smoking is bad for you”. Moreover, almost all respondents, including smokers, prefer picture-warnings over text warnings.
The 2007 Philippine Global Youth Tobacco Survey shows that 1 in every 3 Filipino teenagers aged 13-15 smoke. Youth smoking has increased by 30% in just 2 years. If nothing is done, every other Filipino teenager would be smoking by 2011. Prominent picture based health warnings detract from the glamour and appeal of cigarettes to the Filipino youth.
On September 4, 2005, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) entered into force in the country. By September 4, 2008, the Philippines should have complied with Article 11 minimum standards as a means to protect the Filipino people from the harms of smoking through effective measures on packaging and labelling of tobacco products.
Since December 2007, legislative bills (Senate Bill 2377 and House Bill 3364) have been filed in both Houses of Philippine Congress that will mandate the use of picture warnings instead of plain text warnings on no less than 50% of both the front and back surfaces of tobacco packages. The bills are aimed at presenting a more accurate depiction of real life debilitating diseases caused by tobacco smoking through strong pictorial warning messages. Obviously, these bills are obviously met with strong opposition from the tobacco industry, using tactics to kill the bill. The primary authors of the bills are stalling for the right time that would not come.
Funny because the Philippines is currently producing cigarettes with graphic health warning labels for export to Thailand and other countries. However, it cannot produce the same for local consumption. Somehow, someone somewhere wants the Filipinos die of smoking.
Philippines is Being Left Behind
As of 2008, at least 23 jurisdictions have finalized requirements for picture warnings. The listing below includes the year of implementation, including different years where there have been two or more rounds of picture warnings.
1. Canada (2001)
2. Brazil (2002; 2004; 2009)
3. Singapore (2004; 2006)
4. Thailand (2005, 2007)
5. Venezuela (2005)
6. Jordan (2005)1
7. Australia (2006; rotation of Sets A, B every 12 months)
8. Uruguay (2006; 2008, 2009)
9. Panama (2006)
10. Belgium (2006)
11. Chile (2006, 2007, 2008)
12. Hong Kong (2007)
13. New Zealand (2008; rotation of Sets A, B every 12 months)
14. Romania (2008)
15. United Kingdom (2008)
16. Egypt (2008)
17. Brunei (2008)
18. India (2008)
19. Taiwan (2009)
20. Malaysia (2009)
21. Peru (2009)
22. Djibouti (2009)
23. Switzerland (2010, rotation of Sets 1, 2, 3 every 24 months)
Many other countries/jurisdictions are in the process of doing so, or have stated that picture warnings are under consideration, including France, Iceland, Iran, Ireland, Latvia, Macao, Mongolia, Norway, Pakistan, Portugal, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, the Gulf Cooperation Council (the GCC includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and potentially Yemen), and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM, which includes Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Saint Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago. (Source: Canadian Cancer Society, September 23, 2008.)
---
Photo designed by Break Time
The 2007 Philippine Global Youth Tobacco Survey shows that 1 in every 3 Filipino teenagers aged 13-15 smoke. Youth smoking has increased by 30% in just 2 years. If nothing is done, every other Filipino teenager would be smoking by 2011. Prominent picture based health warnings detract from the glamour and appeal of cigarettes to the Filipino youth.
On September 4, 2005, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) entered into force in the country. By September 4, 2008, the Philippines should have complied with Article 11 minimum standards as a means to protect the Filipino people from the harms of smoking through effective measures on packaging and labelling of tobacco products.
Since December 2007, legislative bills (Senate Bill 2377 and House Bill 3364) have been filed in both Houses of Philippine Congress that will mandate the use of picture warnings instead of plain text warnings on no less than 50% of both the front and back surfaces of tobacco packages. The bills are aimed at presenting a more accurate depiction of real life debilitating diseases caused by tobacco smoking through strong pictorial warning messages. Obviously, these bills are obviously met with strong opposition from the tobacco industry, using tactics to kill the bill. The primary authors of the bills are stalling for the right time that would not come.
Funny because the Philippines is currently producing cigarettes with graphic health warning labels for export to Thailand and other countries. However, it cannot produce the same for local consumption. Somehow, someone somewhere wants the Filipinos die of smoking.
Philippines is Being Left Behind
As of 2008, at least 23 jurisdictions have finalized requirements for picture warnings. The listing below includes the year of implementation, including different years where there have been two or more rounds of picture warnings.
1. Canada (2001)
2. Brazil (2002; 2004; 2009)
3. Singapore (2004; 2006)
4. Thailand (2005, 2007)
5. Venezuela (2005)
6. Jordan (2005)1
7. Australia (2006; rotation of Sets A, B every 12 months)
8. Uruguay (2006; 2008, 2009)
9. Panama (2006)
10. Belgium (2006)
11. Chile (2006, 2007, 2008)
12. Hong Kong (2007)
13. New Zealand (2008; rotation of Sets A, B every 12 months)
14. Romania (2008)
15. United Kingdom (2008)
16. Egypt (2008)
17. Brunei (2008)
18. India (2008)
19. Taiwan (2009)
20. Malaysia (2009)
21. Peru (2009)
22. Djibouti (2009)
23. Switzerland (2010, rotation of Sets 1, 2, 3 every 24 months)
Many other countries/jurisdictions are in the process of doing so, or have stated that picture warnings are under consideration, including France, Iceland, Iran, Ireland, Latvia, Macao, Mongolia, Norway, Pakistan, Portugal, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, the Gulf Cooperation Council (the GCC includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and potentially Yemen), and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM, which includes Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Saint Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago. (Source: Canadian Cancer Society, September 23, 2008.)
---
Photo designed by Break Time
0 comments:
Post a Comment