ISLAMABAD: The government decision to introduce larger pictorial health warnings (PHW) on cigarette packets starting June 1 has not been implemented yet.

The Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) has written to the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration and provincial chief secretaries to implement the government’s decision on pictorial health warnings, but the printing of new cigarette packets has not begun.

Civil society groups, meanwhile, have said that the government should confiscate cigarettes from the market to force the tobacco industry to implement the law.

NHS ministry asks ICT admin, provincial chief secretaries to enforce SRO in respective jurisdictions

An official from the capital administration who asked not to be named said a letter was received from the NHS ministry suggesting practical measures to ensure that cigarette packets with the larger pictorial health warnings are sold in the market.

The letter, which is available with Dawn, states that according to statutory regulatory order (SRO) 127 (KE)/2017 dated Dec 19, 2017, all tobacco companies are bound to increase the size of the pictorial health warning from 40pc to 50pc on the front and back of cigarette packets.

These should be printed for a one year period commencing June 1, 2018.

The ICT administration and provincial governments have been informed that they are empowered to enforce tobacco control laws in their jurisdiction. Police officers who are assistant sub-inspectors and above are also authorised to act against violators of the tobacco control ordinance.

The letter suggests that the relevant authorities crack down or take legal action against violators of the rules for pictorial health warnings on cigarette packets and outers.

The letter, which is dated June 11, was signed by then NHS secretary Naveed Kamran Baloch, who has now been appointed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief secretary. As the letter is addressed to provincial chief secretaries, he will also be responsible for its implementation in KP.

Mr Baloch told Dawn he had written to all the provinces and the federal capital.

“I have just taken the charge of post [of chief secretary] and understand the issues. I will ensure that the letter would be implemented and PHWs would be increased across the province,” he said.

Smoke Free Islamabad Project Director Dr Minhajus Siraj told Dawn that rather than writing letters, the NHS ministry should take practical measures to ensure that the size of the pictorial health warning is increased from 40 to 50pc.

“Not only should the size of the PHW have been increased on June 1, the picture should also be replaced with a picture of throat cancer. Over a decade ago, when Mr Yousuf Khan was the joint secretary of the Ministry of Health, a similar issue arose and he assured that cigarette packets would not come out of factories without warnings printed on them,” he said.

“I suggest that the Ministry of NHS ensure that companies start printing new packets and respond to all the correspondence made by tobacco companies that is done to delay the process of enlarged PHWs, such as a company has demanded a grace period of one month. The ministry should decline the request so that the company does not have the excuse of any delay,” he added.

In response to a question, Dr Siraj said the confiscation of cigarettes by the district administration and other stakeholders may backfire. He suggested steps to make the tobacco industry start printing new packets.

The national coordinator of the Coalition for Tobacco Control, Khurram Hashmi, said the tobacco industry was using delaying tactics.

“We have seen that when the tobacco industry wants to change the printing of packets for promotional purposes it is done within days. The industry should be pushed to start printing new packets and told that all packets with 40pc PHWs will be confiscated. I am sure the new packets will enter the market in a few days,” he said.

Published in Dawn, June 15th, 2018