Zubair Qureshi
Human Development Foundation (HDF) at a fact sharing session held on Thursday shared results of a survey on assessing the current status of Graphic Health Warning (GHW) on tobacco packs.
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 attended the session.
Dr Nausheen Hamid, Parliamentary Secretary for Health Department graced the event as Chief Guest.
The survey according to the HDF CEO, Azhar Saleem, was jointly carried out by HDF and SPARC in 5 main cities of Pakistan namely Islamabad, Lahore, Multan, Karachi and Peshawar.
Through the survey, it was found that the tobacco companies have not been following the legal standards required under Pakistan’s tobacco control laws.
Azhar Saleem while sharing the background of graphic health warning on cigarette packs 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.
Graphic health warnings are a cost effective and wide reaching method of reducing tobacco consumption and creates mass awareness about the health hazards of tobacco use.
Ziaud 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, stated that along with the violation of GHW standards, tobacco companies have been indirectly promoting and advertising their products at shops. He further added 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.
