[Intl-tobacco] Cigarette firms reject FCA pictorial warning plan

[Robert Weissman]

Friday, February 14, 2003
The Star (Malaysia)
Cigarette firms reject pictorial warning plan
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=3D/2003/2/14/nation/jqtobacco&sec=
=3Dna
tion
BY JACQUELINE ANN SURIN

PETALING JAYA: Two major cigarette companies have rejected the position of
more than 180 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to have pictorial
warnings on cigarette boxes, while another supports =93clear and conspicuou=
s=94
health warnings but with conditions.

=93Regulations and any action on public health should be based on rational
review of hard evidence.

=93Pictorial warnings represent an emotional rather than a rational respons=
e
to the issue of consumer information or awareness,=94 British American Toba=
cco
(Malaysia) Bhd said in a statement.

BAT =96 the largest cigarette company in Malaysia =96 was responding to a r=
eport
in The Star on Monday which quoted Framework Convention Alliance (FCA)
steering committee member Mary Assunta as saying pictorial warnings were on=
e
of the clauses the NGOs wanted to see inserted in the first international
treaty on tobacco control.

The treaty =96 known as the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) =
=96
will be negotiated by 192 countries for the final time in Geneva from
Feb 17
to 28 under the auspices of the World Health Organisation.

Citing the successful use of pictorial warnings in Canada, Assunta had said
such warnings would be more effective especially in countries with high
illiteracy rates or where smokers have grown accustomed to text-only
warnings.

JTI=92s Southeast Asia corporate affairs director Dr Shireen M. Hashim said
there was no evidence that graphic images better informed smokers about the
risks of smoking or deterred young people from picking up the habit.

She said the message content of warning labels should have a =93reasonable
scientific basis.=94

=93Graphic warnings may expropriate our trademarks, infringe our intellectu=
al
property rights and reduce our ability to provide information to consumers
via our packs,=94 she said.

Philip Morris said it believed that all cigarette packs should contain a
=93clear and conspicuous health warning=94 adding that it deferred to
governments as to their contents.

=93We fully support health warning requirements so long as the size and
placement permits us to continue to effectively communicate our trademarks
and other information that helps adult smokers distinguish one brand from
another,=94 it said in a statement, adding that this was crucial for
competition.