SHOCKING pictures of corpses, dead babies, rotting teeth, cancerous lungs and the caption 'Smoking Kills' are to be displayed on all tobacco products in Bahrain and the GCC.
The shock tactics by the GCC Anti-Smoking Committee will be implemented within the next two years, says Health Ministry tobacco control unit co-ordinator Dr Kadhem Al Halwachi.
"The current warning 'smoking is a main cause of lung cancer, lung diseases and of heart and arteries diseases' is being ignored and the new warning would help the cause better," he said.
"All tobacco products like cigarettes, cigars, sheesha, chewing tobacco pouches will display various negative messages and pictures on the effects of smoking."
Twenty per cent of Bahrain's population are tobacco users and more than 30,000 Gulf nationals lose their lives due to diseases related to tobacco every year, said Dr Al Halwachi.
"Many countries, such as Eygpt, Singapore, Thailand, Brazil and Canada have implemented this move," he said.
"The current warning is very small and many people do not see it or just ignore it."
He said tobacco products would carry a picture along with a warning caption.
"The picture along with the warning will take up 30pc to 50pc of the product packaging and will be displayed on the front and back and the warning caption will also have a 14-point font size," said Dr Al Halwachi.
"The aim of this move is to make people more aware of the dangers of smoking and that it kills."
He said that the picture along with the caption warning would be changed three to four times a year.
Campaigners believe pictures will drive home the message more forcefully.
"In UK, for example, they only have a warning on their cigarette packs but no pictures," said Dr Al Halwachi.
"The committee wants to put both warnings and pictures and they will get all the help they need from the World Health Organisation (WHO).
He said that smoking had increased in the developing countries and awareness campaigns to curb smoking had become a must.
"This move has been aimed at all developing countries because tobacco users now ignore the small warning," said Dr Al Halwachi.
rasha@gdn.com.bh
