• March 28, 2024

Sri Lanka debut for cigarette graphic health warnings

Sri Lanka started yesterday on the last phase of its imposition of graphic health warnings on cigarette packs, according to a story in The Island, Colombo.

Manufacturers were prohibited from producing after December 31 packs without the warning while traders and distributors have to clear their stocks of non-compliant products by the end of this month. From February 1, action can be taken against those who sell cigarettes without the proper warning.

The first in a series of seven graphic warnings, which have to cover 60 percent of the front and back pack surfaces, depicts a patient with heart disease lying on a bed in the Intensive Care Unit of a hospital. The caption says, in three languages: ‘Smoking Causes Heart Disease’.

This warning will be used for six months, after which it will be replaced.

Meanwhile, anti-tobacco lobbyists have expressed concern that the graphic messages will not be seen by the average smoker, who buys loose sticks rather packs.