New Zealand Considers
Graphic Images on Cigarette Packs Including Pictures of Throat Cancer
Rotting Teeth and Gums
May 10th 2006
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New Zealand is considering putting strong pictures on cigarette packs
sold in their country in an effort to curb smoking. The Ministry of
Health is releasing a proposal that would include pictures of “harsh
evidence of the harms associated with smoking, including photos of
smokers with throat cancer, rotting teeth and gums and gangrenous
feet.” This is according to Auckland Radio Station NewsTalk ZB 89.
The Ministry is looking for feedback before they begin the health
warnings. There are other countries that have already included graphic
warnings on their cigarette packs. These countries include Canada,
Australia, Brazil and Thailand.
Many countries already provide written warnings on their cigarette
packs. Radio New Zealand reports that the Ministry believes graphic
warnings would be more effective than just written words.
According to Chief Advisor on Public Health, Ashley Bloomfield, smokers
under-estimate the risk of diseases, and do not know about many diseases
smoking can cause. According to Radio New Zealand, 24 percent of their
adults smoke cigarettes.
The numbers of smokers are declining, but at a slow rate. It is hoped
that this will help lower that rate. The Ministry says that the tobacco
industry will be responsible for the cost of putting the pictures on the
packages. The Ministry will also be the ones that provide the
guidelines on size and placement of the pictures.
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The new guidelines are in response to the World Health Organisation
(WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. New Zealand was an early
ratifier of the convention two years ago. Dr LEE Jong-wook.
Director-General, World Health Organization says “The WHO FCTC
negotiations have already unleashed a process that has resulted in
visible differences at country level. The success of the WHO FCTC as a
tool for public health will depend on the energy and political
commitment that we devote to implementing it in countries in the coming
years. A successful result will be global public health gains for all."
Radio New Zealand reports that the tobacco companies say this will not
stop people from smoking. They say that the British American Tobacco
corporate affairs manager, Carrick Graham, told Morning Report that
written warnings have not cut the number of people smoking and he does
not believe putting pictures on packets will make any difference either.
According to NewsTalk ZB, after Canada added the images to their
cigarette packs the smoking rate dropped by two percent in four years.
In New Zealand the images are expected to cover up to 60 percent of the
front and back of packages. The associate Health Minister Damien
O'Connor says the packets will be aimed to shock.
Action on Smoking in Health director, Becky Freeman, says
graphic warnings on cigarette packets are essential, Radio New Zealand
reports. The rate of smoking in Australia is 5 percent lower than New
Zealand.
Dan Wilson
Best Syndication
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