Indonesia: tobacco pack warnings need stronger enforcement

  Widyastuti Soerojo, Southeast Asia Initiative on Tobacco Tax As reported in the September 2014 edition of News Analysis, pictorial health warnings (PHW) on cigarette packs in Indonesia were due to be implemented in June 2014. The Indonesian government approved the warnings, after a lengthy process, under Article 114 of the Health Law No 36/2009, […]

Read More…

Beyond statistics: the hidden face of smoking-related cancer

This story should be required reading for anyone who works for a tobacco company or denies that tobacco causes horrific suffering. The editorial team at Tobacco Control thanks Karen for her bravery and honesty in sharing her very personal story. Beyond statistics: the hidden face of smoking-related cancer By Simon Chapman, University of Sydney The […]

Read More…

Thai youth ask the tobacco industry to withdraw lawsuit against new pictorial health warnings

Update: On 1 August, 140 youth and students held a protest rally at the World Trade Centre in Bangkok, location of the Philip Morris International offices, to show support for 85% pictorial warnings, and to symbolise “140 deaths from tobacco use every day” in the country. View a video of the rally here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXsWjL8VplE Open letter 1 August 2013 To:  […]

Read More…

New WHO report: more tobacco advertising bans, smoke free spaces save millions of lives

  The World Health Organisation Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic 2013 was launched in Panama City on 10 July. Panama was selected as the venue for this high level, global event in recognition of the country’s leadership in tobacco control. The report shows the number of people worldwide covered by at least one life-saving […]

Read More…

Cameroon: Cigarettes are eating your baby alive campaign

  Today marks the launch of the first-ever national mass media campaign to warn people of Cameroon about the harms of tobacco. The campaign, called ‘Cigarettes Are Eating Your Baby Alive,’ was developed by the Ministry of Health and World Lung Foundation. It graphically depicts how tobacco harms not both smokers, as well as their […]

Read More…

Cigarette pack warnings: a new way to talk directly to smokers?

  The tussle between tobacco companies and public health over the valuable advertising real estate that is the cigarette pack could be about to escalate to a whole new level. Researchers at Stirling University in Scotland have created cigarette packs that play recorded health warnings when opened. Funded by Cancer Research UK, the study is inspired by […]

Read More…

World No Tobacco Day in the Western Pacific

  Report credit: Annabel Lyman, FCA Pacific Island Countries Coordinator Every year, WHO recognizes individuals or organisations in each of the six WHO Regions for their accomplishments in the area of tobacco control. There were 6 awardees in the Western Pacific region this year including the Cook Islands Ministry of Health. The Cook Islands ratified […]

Read More…

Thailand: tobacco industry takes legal action to block public health measures

In a story familiar to Health Ministries who act in accordance with the requirements of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control to protect the health of their citizens, the Thai Ministry of Health is facing legal action from the tobacco industry against a policy to increase the size of cigarette pack health warnings to 85%. Japan Tobacco filed […]

Read More…