Pictorial warnings on fags by May 1

by Ananda KANNANGARA

The Health Ministry said that cancer related pictorial warnings on cigarette packets will be printed by May 1 to coincide with the forthcoming National Vesak festival.

This assurance, was given by Deputy Health Minister Lalith Dissanayake to the The National Alcohol and Tobacco Authority (NATA), Chairman, Prof. Carlo Fonseka at a media briefing in Colombo on Friday. National Cancer Hospital, Medical Officer Dr. Samadhi Rajapaksa and a member of the Sri Lanaka Non-smokers' Association Roshan Ranawana were also present.

Quoting statistics from foreign countries, the Deputy Health Minister said printing pictorial warnings on cigarette packets could help check the smoking habit to a great extent.

He said the Government spends a colossal sum of money on tobacco related cancer and other diseases annually compared to the taxes from manufacturing and selling tobacco products.

The Deputy Minister also thanked Roshan Ranawana for his inspiring speech on the negative aspects of tobacco smoking and said that after the Government's Mathata Thitha program was introduced a large percentage of Sri Lankans, especially the younger generation refrained from tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption.

Prof. Fonseka said by printing cancer related pictorials on cigarette packets along with written warnings on smoking could discourage young people against smoking.

According to NATA statistics, nearly 22,000 Sri Lankans, mainly those underaged die due to tobacco related products annually and it was the sole responsibilities of the authorities concerned to check this menance.

He said the need to print cancer related-pictorial warnings on cigarette packets had been brought to the notice of the Health Ministry several months ago and it was the duty of officials to implement it as early as possible as it was a national need.

Printing pictorial warnings on cigarette packets is a common practice in several foreign countries including Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Singapore, Taiwan, Iran, Malaysia, Canada, India and some other European countries.