Photo warnings to be put cigarette packs

Marlboro cigarette packs carry photos of bodily harm caused by smoking.

Photos of body parts afflicted by smoking related diseases will replace the current written warning on cigarette packs from as early as next year.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare said Monday that it was seeking to revise the National Health Promotion Law to curb the nation’s high incidence of smoking.

Currently cigarette packs have the warning labels on them because tobacco growers and cigarette companies are strongly against the adoption of photos or other graphic warnings.

The photographs will be put on cigarette packs to show the physical damage caused by smoking _ a measure currently used in over 40 countries including the United States, Britain, Brazil, Canada, Hong Kong and Singapore.

“After discussion with related ministries, we plan to announce the revision plan within the month and collect opinion from the public and experts,” said a ministry official.

“If the revision process goes smoothly at the National Assembly, the new rules are likely to take effect early next year,” he added.

The ministry has long been advocating the use of graphic warnings. Several lawmakers proposed bills related to the practice over four times during the 18th Assembly but faced opposition from interest groups, which claimed it would not effectively curb the smoking rate and would decrease the incomes of tobacco farmers.

The 18th Assembly closed in May without passing the bills, which were automatically scrapped.

“We believe the graphics are effective. In Canada, the smoking rate was 24 percent in 2000 when the country adopted the measure, but it dropped to 22 percent in 2001 and keeps falling,” the official said.

Besides the graphic warnings, tobacco companies will be banned from using words such as “mild” or “light,” which the ministry regards as inducing people to smoke.

Promotional activities such as street events to commemorate the launching of new cigarette products will also be prohibited at places other than designated cigarette selling booths.

The ministry is also seeking to force tobacco companies to disclose the ingredients in their products.

Such a disclosure is based on the Law on Tobacco Business, governed by the Ministry of Strategy and Finance. According to the law, companies should put the names of six key ingredients on cigarette packs such as nicotine and tar, but don’t need to do so for the other hundreds of ingredients including additives.

“All ingredients need to be made public for the right of consumers to know and for public health,” the official said.

“We’ll discuss the issue with the finance ministry and other related groups to reach an agreement. We believe the Assembly will acknowledge the purpose of the revision, because society is moving to reduce damage from smoking.” <The Korea Times/Kim Rahn>

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