A weak government warning

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Editor CHERYL CRUZ Desk Editor PATRICK PANGILINAN Busines Editor NIDA A. BUENAFE Sports Editor RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

A non-government organization of health advocates is worried that the Philippines is lagging behind other nations in implementing a law requiring graphic warnings on cigaret packs. Health Justice Philippines says that 64 states comprising 40 percent of the world’s population have already finalized picture warning requirements on cigaret packs, while in the Philippines, government still needs to be reminded to enforce this life-saving measure.

In 2001, Canada became the first country to pass a law mandating graphic picture warnings on cigaret packs. Since then, 47 countries around the world have put graphic warnings on cigaret packs, covering at least 50 percent of the package. Cigaret packs in Australia currently have 82.5 percent of the pack covered with vivid picture warnings. According to HJP managing director Irene Reyes, Thailand is planning to increase the size of the health warning to 85 percent of the cigaret pack from the current 55 percent. India also wants the space for graphic health warnings raised from 20 percent. On the other hand, the Philippines is yet to enforce any law regarding graphic health warnings on cigaret packs despite having an estimated 240 Filipinos die every day from tobacco related diseases.

Our lawmakers may be thinking that with the Sin Tax law in effect, it may be unnecessary to require graphic health warnings on cigaret packs but if that is the case, then why do other countries where the price of cigaret is even more prohibitive than that in the Philippines continue to require such warnings? The reason for that is clear. Tobacco smoking is dangerous for anybody’s health and it is the duty of any responsible government to reduce the instances of that health risk.

The current warning on cigaret packs in the Philippines, a line of text that says: “Government warning: Cigarette smoking is dangerous to your health”, is obviously not effective enough in discouraging smoking, especially among the young. Asking the government to require graphic health warnings on cigaret packs is not asking it to abandon the tobacco industry. It is merely asking the government to look after the general health of its people.*