wowpow
May 19th, 2006, 09:52
The Bangkok Post, Friday 19th May 06
"Warnings to be made stronger
The Disease Control Department plans to tighten control over tobacco packaging, with stronger health warning labels to be slapped on cigarette packets. Under a new regulation, tobacco manufacturers will be required to show hazardous chemical contents that have been linked with cancer.
The department also plans to ban the use of the terms ''light'' and ''mild'' on cigarette packets, which it says can mislead people into believing that the brands are less harmful to health than regular brands.
Narong Sahamethapat, department deputy director-general, said the agency plans to introduce stricter measures to regulate tobacco manufacturing under the 1992 Tobacco Control Law.
The new regulation, which is expected to take effect in October this year, will also extend to cigars and tobacco leaves produced and smoked by people across the country.
Mr Narong said the latest regulation applies mainly to cigarette packets to deter would-be smokers who mostly start with cigarettes instead of other kinds of tobacco.
But it will also apply to local tobacco leaves, such as those commonly smoked by people in the North. Mr Narong said smokers in the North mix herbs with tobacco leaves, believing that the mixture will not harm their health.
He said even tighter regulations are also in the pipeline, as some of the present laws are enforced by the Finance Ministry which focuses only on the trade and tax aspects of tobacco sales.
He said the Health Department has been assigned to study the public health laws and issue tougher regulations, including a new classification of tobacco as a public nuisance and a hazardous product. The classification will lead to tougher measures governing the purchase and sale of tobacco, said Mr Narong."
Sadly they are not going to massively increase the tax on cigarettes to discourage slow suicide.
Singapore charges about Bt280 a pack and the UK around Bt500.
Is it only in the 7 - Elevens that I visit that they are "accidentally" leaving the covers to the cigarette displayes open?
"Warnings to be made stronger
The Disease Control Department plans to tighten control over tobacco packaging, with stronger health warning labels to be slapped on cigarette packets. Under a new regulation, tobacco manufacturers will be required to show hazardous chemical contents that have been linked with cancer.
The department also plans to ban the use of the terms ''light'' and ''mild'' on cigarette packets, which it says can mislead people into believing that the brands are less harmful to health than regular brands.
Narong Sahamethapat, department deputy director-general, said the agency plans to introduce stricter measures to regulate tobacco manufacturing under the 1992 Tobacco Control Law.
The new regulation, which is expected to take effect in October this year, will also extend to cigars and tobacco leaves produced and smoked by people across the country.
Mr Narong said the latest regulation applies mainly to cigarette packets to deter would-be smokers who mostly start with cigarettes instead of other kinds of tobacco.
But it will also apply to local tobacco leaves, such as those commonly smoked by people in the North. Mr Narong said smokers in the North mix herbs with tobacco leaves, believing that the mixture will not harm their health.
He said even tighter regulations are also in the pipeline, as some of the present laws are enforced by the Finance Ministry which focuses only on the trade and tax aspects of tobacco sales.
He said the Health Department has been assigned to study the public health laws and issue tougher regulations, including a new classification of tobacco as a public nuisance and a hazardous product. The classification will lead to tougher measures governing the purchase and sale of tobacco, said Mr Narong."
Sadly they are not going to massively increase the tax on cigarettes to discourage slow suicide.
Singapore charges about Bt280 a pack and the UK around Bt500.
Is it only in the 7 - Elevens that I visit that they are "accidentally" leaving the covers to the cigarette displayes open?