Warnings to smokers to become more vivid
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Anatolia News Agency
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Temmuz 06, 2009 00:00
ANKARA - Health advisories on cigarette packets are set to become stronger in 2010 and will contain both written and visual warnings.
"Apart from written warnings, there will be a total of 14 pictures on cigarette and other tobacco- product packages," Mehmet Küçük, the chairman of the Turkish Tobacco and Alcohol Market Regulation Board, or TAPDK, said Sunday.
Noting that the change would take effect Jan. 1, 2010, Küçük said the board was trying to draw more attention to the harmful effects of cigarettes with the new approach.
There are 180 different kinds of cigarette packets sold in Turkey, all of which will be changed to carry the visual warning system. Tobacco companies will have to renew their written and visual warnings within certain set periods.
The visual-warning system is already in use on cigarette packages in Belgium, Brazil, Britain, Romania, Singapore and Thailand, among other countries. The European Union has established 42 sample pictures that can be used for visual warnings on tobacco products. Turkey is preparing to choose 14 of these images. Research indicates that visual warnings have a 20 percent stronger effect than written ones on people who want to quit.
Noting that the change would take effect Jan. 1, 2010, Küçük said the board was trying to draw more attention to the harmful effects of cigarettes with the new approach.
There are 180 different kinds of cigarette packets sold in Turkey, all of which will be changed to carry the visual warning system. Tobacco companies will have to renew their written and visual warnings within certain set periods.
The visual-warning system is already in use on cigarette packages in Belgium, Brazil, Britain, Romania, Singapore and Thailand, among other countries. The European Union has established 42 sample pictures that can be used for visual warnings on tobacco products. Turkey is preparing to choose 14 of these images. Research indicates that visual warnings have a 20 percent stronger effect than written ones on people who want to quit.