ISLAMABAD, Pakistan —Out to introduce packaging reforms through amendments in the existing tobacco control legislation, TheNetwork for Consumer Protection has embarked on a countrywide advocacy and awareness campaign for introduction of rotating pictorial warnings on 50 per cent of the cigarette pack; a statement on the pack about product constituents and emissions; and prohibition of sale of smaller packs and in loose packing.

Announcing the decision at a press conference here Friday, TheNetwork said a series of countrywide activities will be organised in a bid to influence policy makers in the Ministry of Health to amend the Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non-Smokers’ Health Ordinance 2002 and The Cigarettes (Printing of Warning) (Amendment) Ordinance 2002 in line with Article 11 and paragraph 2 of Article 16 of the Framework Convention of Tobacco Control (FCTC) to pave the way for inclusion of pictorial warnings.

A comprehensive report on the issue would be launched at a national policy seminar where the World Health Organisation would bring in international experience of pictorial warnings as per the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Sample pictorial warnings will also be prepared and shared with policy makers. TheNetwork will closely work with Tobacco Control Initiative of the Ministry of Health to prepare draft amendments. Elected representatives, specifically the Standing Committees on Health in National Assembly and the Senate, will also be engaged. The media was informed that Heartfile would arrange meetings with elected representatives while Pakistan Medical Association would be requested to provide clinical evidence in support of the reforms.

TheNework appealed to all its members to actively participate in the campaign for the next two years and transform it into a social movement. It also urged the media to join hands in introducing pictorial warnings on cigarette packs through necessary changes in the law.

In Pakistan, round about 50 per cent of the population is illiterate and the smoking is more prevalent among the poor. As a result, written warnings have very little impact in influencing the decision to smoke or refrain. “In this context, the pictorial warnings advised in FCTC are very relevant. By now 17 countries of the world have introduced pictorial warnings on cigarette packs in their countries. These are Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Jordan, New Zealand, Panama, Romania, Singapore, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom, Uruguay, and Venezuela. The European Union has given each of its 25 member countries the option to require one of 42 picture-based cigarette warnings. Pictorial warnings give a clear message to smokers as well as non-smokers about the grave consequences of cigarette smoking.

Smoking in all forms including cigarettes is cause of major non-communicable diseases. According to a recent WHO research report, tobacco use is a risk factor for six of the eight leading causes of death in the world.

In poor families in developing countries purchase of tobacco can easily represent up to 10 per cent of total household expenditure. A recent survey by the ministry of health indicated that 33% of men and 4.7% of the women are cigarette smokers. A survey conducted by TheNetwork in 2006 revealed that the 28% of the urban adolescent aged 15-18 years currently smoke, and is more prevalent among the poor and the illiterate. About more then 25 million Pakistanis smoke, and 1,200 youth start smoking each day in Pakistan. An estimated more then 100,000 die annually from tobacco-related illnesses. In Pakistan, more than 55.3 billion cigarettes are produced.

Due to legislation against smoking in USA and Europe, the tobacco companies have diverted their marketing campaign towards developing countries including Pakistan. The result is that tobacco use is declining at the rate of 1.5% in the West but at the same time it is increasing at the rate of more than 1.7% in the developing countries. Some 57 tobacco manufacturers are currently operating in Pakistan.

WHO estimates that in case the FCTC is not fully implemented, the number of deaths due to smoking would reach 10 million per year by 2020.

The campaign being launched by TheNetwork and its six partners (Tobacco Control Initiative, Ministry of Health; WHO; Heartfile; Society for Alternative Media and Research through its Coalition for Tobacco Control; Johns Hopkins Centre for Communication Programme and Pakistan Medical Association) has been made possible due to the availability of a grant amounting $2,80,000 (for a period of two years) for “Policy Advocacy and Stakeholder Awareness Building for Packaging Reforms to Reduce Demand for Cigarettes in Pakistan” from the Bloomberg Grant Initiative (BGI), New York. The BGI is a global programme to reduce tobacco use in low- and middle-income countries.