Pictorial health warnings on tobacco products could minimise deaths

by Ananda KANNANGARA

The National Cancer Hospital (NCH) and the President of the Cancer Care Association Dr. Samadhi Wishvanath Rajapaksa, actively involved in a humanitarian service to discourage Sri Lankans from cigarette smoking in an interview with the Sunday Observer welcomed the Government's assurance to print pictorial health warnings on cigarette packets. He also endorsed the decision of the Government to ban cigarette smoking in public and cautioned that secondhand smoke too may cause lung cancer, heart diseases, sudden infant death syndrome, low birth weight and serious respiratory conditions.

Dr. Rajapaksa says 80 percent of patients who seek admission in the NCH suffer from tobacco related diseases and the time has come to educate cigarette smokers on the negative sides of smoking.

Dr. Rajapaksa says a cigarette contains 4,000 harmful substances and 40 percent of them have a direct impact on cancer. He said by displaying "Pictorial health warnings" is the most influential modes in highlighting the risks of tobacco use.

Dr. Rajapaksa was of the view that one third of Sri Lankan males are smokers and a small number of females from the affluent class too are in the habit of smoking.

The leading cause of morbidity and mortality is communicable diseases. The records indicate that over 20,000 people in Sri Lanka die due to tobacco-related illnesses annually. Tobacco is consumed by people in two forms - smoking and chewing. It is common to see Lankan women mainly in the rural and remote sector are in the habit of chewing tobacco along with betel.

The World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) is the first international treaty account and It was adopted by the World Health Assembly on 21 May 2003.

The WHO FCTC was developed in response to the globalization of the tobacco epidemic and is an evidence-based treaty that reaffirms the right of all people to the highest standard of health. There are 174 parties for the Convention covering 87.4 percent of the world's population. Sri Lanka was the first Asian country and fourth in the world which ratified the treaty in 2003. Accordingly, the National Authority on Alcohol & Tobacco (NATA) was established in December 2003.

According to FCTC Policy recommendations, pictorial health warning labels should be large and cover 50 percent of the package. This includes pictures of tobacco's harm, especially for the benefit of low literacy populations, include text for literate populations. Pictorial health warnings should be placed on all tobacco packagings such as cigarette packs, cartons, and other container forms visible at point-of-sale. The labels should appear on principal display areas (front and back the largest panels of the package) Pictorial health warnings on a pack are an educational tool to inform about the health risks of tobacco use.

According to the World Health Organization, tobacco kills more than five million people every year. One tobacco death occurs every six seconds. Tobacco killed 100 million in the 20th century and if preventable measures are not taken it could kill one billion in the 21st century. More than 80 percent of them are in low and middle income countries.

Everyday as many as 100,000 young people around the world become addicted to tobacco. If current trends continue, 250 million children and young people who live today will die from tobacco related diseases.

Framework Convention on Tobacco Control says that advertising, sponsorship and promotion of tobacco products, sales to minors (21 and below), smoking at "Enclosed public places", should be banned. Sri Lanka should create all public places as smoke-free to protect non-smokers from passive smoking.

It is important to note that one of the main organisations in Sri Lanka, the Jeewaka Foundation who conducts regular workshops countrywide to educate people on the negative effects of smoking has commenced programs in collaboration with the National Authority on Tobacco & Alcohol (NATA) against smoking.

The Foundation recently conducted a two-day media workshop at the Sri Lanka Press Institute to promote the message of tobacco control among media. Editors of leading newspapers, medical professionals who are experts in the field of journalism and tobacco control took part in the seminar as resource personnel.

The Foundation on the guidance of its Chairperson Manjari Peiris educated about 40 media personnel who represented both electronic and print media on subjects such as - How to make a story on Tobacco Control?, The role of media and tobacco control - a medical perspective, Media advocacy and tobacco control issues in Sri Lanka - how to interest editors and policy-makers?, Facets of good journalism, Contribution of smoking towards cancer and on Pack Warnings.

Deputy Health Minister Lalith Dissanayake participated in the seminar as the Chief Guest. The Deputy Minister said that Pictorial Health Warnings on Tobacco Products could not only minimize deaths to a greater extent but also save colossal sums of money that spend by the Health Department annually on cancer patients who seek treatments after smoking.

He said one third of Sri Lankans who are involved in the fight against tobacco had urged authorities to implement the two smoke-free laws, to make the public aware of the harm of smoking and protect non-smokers from secondhand smoke.

The Deputy Health Minister said that necessary amendments of the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol Act was sent to the Legal Draftsman to translate into all three languages. He said the Health Ministry expects the finished document within the next three months and thereafter forward it to the health committee before being presented in Parliament for approval.

The Deputy Minister also noted that Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena was making special efforts to realize this at the earliest.

He said President Mahinda Rajapaksa always stood for progressive legislation of this kind through initiatives such as Mathata Thitha, which aims preventing people from using alcohol and smoking. Professor Carlo Fonseka also appreciated the role, being played by media to discourage tobacco smoking public and requested political authorities for speedy implementation of tobacco control laws for the sake of good health of people.

He said even large number of foreign countries such as Canada, Malaysia, India, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Singapore, Taiwan and Iran have already started printing pictorial health warnings on cigarette packs and the response from the public was good.

The Canadian government has introduced PHWs covering 75% of the display area of a pack.

A popular cinema artiste Roshan Ranawana who is dead against smoking and consumption of alcohol who also attended the workshop said Sri Lanka lost too many talented artistes due to premature deaths caused by tobacco and alcohol. He urged the younger generation to stay away from both.

He also urged the school authorities to conduct regular meetings to educate the younger generation on the negative aspects of smoking.