Wanted: Views on standardised, plain cigarette packs

Wanted: Views on standardised, plain cigarette packs

A PUBLIC consultation on the standardised packaging of tobacco products - plain boxes with graphic health warnings - will be conducted at the end of this year, said Parliamentary Secretary for Health Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim yesterday.

If implemented, tobacco products will get the same plain packaging and have any promotional aspects - like trademarks, logos, colour schemes and images - removed. But the mandatory health warnings will remain.

The objective is to lower the appeal of cigarettes and other tobacco products, and increase the visibility of health warnings.

Australia is the only country to have implemented standardised packaging, which it did on Dec 1, 2012. New Zealand, Ireland, France and Britain have also announced their intention to introduce such packaging.

New and emerging tobacco products that appeal to the youth may also be banned, he said.

The Health Ministry also highlighted that some countries have prohibited the sale of tobacco for oral use, while others have prohibited electronic cigarettes.


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