[Intl-tobacco] Package Warnings: Important Progress Being Made Worldwide

[Robert Weissman]

Package Warnings: Important Progress Being Made Worldwide

Rob Cunningham
Canadian Cancer Society
February 5, 2004


Tremendous progress is being made worldwide by governments to improve
package warnings.  The size of warnings is getting bigger. A growing number
of countries require or will soon require picture-based warnings.  And as
countries implement the FCTC, revolutionary improvements to package warnings
will continue around the world.

Pictures:

Four countries have finalized laws requiring picture-based warnings: Canada,
Brazil, Singapore and Thailand.  The Canadian warnings appeared on packages
in 2001, Brazilian warnings appeared on packages in 2002.  The Singapore
warnings are required as of August 1, 2004, and the Thai warnings as of
approximately February, 2005.

On February 2, 2004, Australia announced its decision to require
picture-based warnings and released a series of 14 draft messages.
There is
a consultation period until March 19, 2004. The Australian Government has
said that the regulations will be finalized by June 2004, and the new
warnings will appear on packages starting June 2005.

To see the Canadian warnings, visit:
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hecs-sesc/tobacco/legislation/warnings/warnings.html

To see scanned versions of the Canadian warnings on actual packages, see:
http://www.nsra-adnf.ca/news_info.php?cPath=22&news_id=78

To see the Brazilian warnings, visit:
http://www.anvisa.gov.br/divulga/noticias/040601_1.htm

To see the proposed next round of Brazilian warnings, visit:
http://www.anvisa.gov.br/divulga/noticias/2003/241003.htm

To see Thailand's warnings, visit:
http://www.thpinhf.org/packaging_labeling.htm

To see the proposed Australian warnings, visit:
http://www.treasury.gov.au/contentitem.asp?pageId=&ContentID=790

To see the Australian Government news release of Feb. 2, 2004, visit
http://www.health.gov.au/mediarel/yr2004/tw/wor003.htm


Pursuant to a European Community Directive, member countries have the option
as of September 30, 2004 to require picture-based warnings on packages.
Warnings are currently text-only. The European Commission is in the process
of completing a library of picture warnings from which member countries can
choose for required use in their country after September 30, 2004.

The countries in the European Community are Austria, Belgium, Denmark,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands,
Portugal, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom.  Ten countries will join the EC on
May 1, 2004: Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania,
Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia.  These countries will be required to
comply with the EC labeling directive. Bulgaria and Romania have been
approved for EC membership and hope to be members by 2007.

The three countries in the European Free Trade Association (Iceland, Norway
and Liechenstein) harmonize their package warnings requirements with the EC.
These countries might also choose to require pictures once the European
Commission completes its library later this year.

The Governments of New Zealand, Malaysia, Taiwan, South Africa, India and
Jamaica have all said publicly that picture-based warnings are under
consideration.  Brazil has released draft warnings for its next round of
picture-based messages.

Size

Canada, Singapore and Thailand require that warnings cover at least 50% of
the front and back of the pack.  In addition to the exterior messages,
Canada requires one of 16 rotated messages to appear inside the package,
either on an insert or on the slide.

Brazil requires that warnings cover 100% of either the front or the back of
the package; in practice this means that a side without a warning is
typically displayed to consumers in stores.

Australia has proposed two options: (1) 50% of the front and 50% of the
back; or (2) 30% of the front and 90% of the back.

In the European Community, in unilingual countries, warnings are
required on
at least 30% of the front and 40% of the back.  However, when a black border
required to surround the warnings is counted, the percentage works out to
about 43% of the front and 53% of the back (an average of 48% of the front
and back).

In bilingual EC countries such as Finland (Finnish, Swedish) and Malta
(Maltese, English), the warnings must be at least 32% of the front and 45%
of the back, which including the border works out to about 45% of the front
and 58% of the back (an average of 52% of the front and back).

In Belgium, a trilingual country (German, French, Flemish), warnings must
cover 35% of the front and 50% of the back, which including the border works
out to about 48% of the front and 63% of the back (an average of 56% of the
front and back).

Thus, as an average of the front and back, Belgium currently requires the
largest space for package warnings in the world at 56%, followed by Finland
at 52%, followed by Canada, Brazil, Singapore and Thailand at 50%. It is
only a matter of time before countries surpass Belgium's size requirements.

Some EC countries dispute or misunderstood the European Commission's legal
opinion that the black border must be in addition to the space reserved for
the warnings. A number of countries such as Germany have minimum
requirements that result in the total size for the warnings, including the
border, to be 30% of the front and 40% of the back of the package.

In 2003, Switzerland published draft regulations based on the EC labeling
directive.  Although Switzerland is neither part of the EC nor an EFTA
country, it often harmonizes its laws with the EC.  Switzerland is proposing
to require trilingual warnings on packages (French, German, Italian)
consistent with the EC Directive.

FCTC Requirements

The FCTC states that messages should cover at least 50% of the principal
display areas of the package (i.e. both the front and back), but at a
minimum must cover at least 30% of the principal display areas (i.e. front
and back).  The use of pictures and pictograms is optional.  The FCTC
requires that there be a series of rotated messages.  As part of the
rotation, non-health messages may be included (e.g. "Quit smoking - Save
money").

Even in Japan, the Japanese Government has said that it will require
warnings to cover at least 30% of the front and back.  The eventual warnings
will be a significant improvement over the current message which states:
"Please remember to follow good smoking manners.  As smoking might injure
your health, please be careful not to overdo it."

Egypt now requires a text-only warning that covers the bottom third of the
front of the pack (based on a sample package).  Although this in itself is
clear progress for Egypt and most developing countries, this is still not
compliant with FCTC requirements for at least 30% of both the front and
back.

To underline the recent progress that has been made, it is believed that in
October 2000 when the FCTC negotiations began, only Canada, Thailand and
Singapore met the eventual FCTC standard of a minimum 30% of the front and
back.  (This would have to be confirmed.) And only Canada met the preferred
FCTC standard of a minimum 50% of the front and back.  Only Canada required
pictures (the Canadian regulations were finalized in June 2000 and were
followed by an implementation period).

What Countries Should Do

Countries should implement the largest package warnings that are politically
achievable. The larger the warnings, the better.  Countries can and should
require that at least 80% of the front and back be reserved for package
messages.  The front of the pack is more important than the back.
Picture-based warnings should be included as part of a rotated series.  A
picture says a thousand words.  Rotated messages should be updated regularly
to keep them fresh.

Evidence of Effectiveness

There is persuasive and ever-growing evidence that picture-based warnings
are more effective than text-only warnings, and that the effectiveness of
warnings increases with size.  Here are some examples of studies or reports
respecting package warnings.

Environics Research Group Ltd., "Evaluation of New Warnings on Cigarette
Packages" Prepared for Canadian Cancer Society, 2001.  Visit:
http://www.cancer.ca/ccs/internet/standard/0,3182,3172_334419_436437_langId-
en,00.html

Studies prepared for the Canadian Department of Health.  Visit:
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hecs-sesc/tobacco/research/archive/index.html

Canadian Cancer Society, "Controlling the Tobacco Epidemic: Selected
Evidence in Support of Banning All Tobacco Advertising and Promotion, and
Requiring Large, Picture-Based Health Warnings on Tobacco Packages" (Ottawa:
Canadian Cancer Society, International Union Against Cancer, 2001). Visit:
http://www.globalink.org/tobacco/docs/packaging/

Hammond, D., Fong, G.T., McDonald, P.W., Cameron, R, Brown, K.S. "Impact of
the graphic Canadian warning labels on adult smoking behaviour." Tobacco
Control 2003;12(4):391-395.

2003/641/EC: Commission Decision of 5 September 2003 on the use of colour
photographs or other illustrations as health warnings on tobacco packages.
Visit:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/health/horiz_legal.htm#4

The Cost-Benefit Analysis accompanying the proposed Australian warnings
http://www.treasury.gov.au/contentitem.asp?pageId=&ContentID=790