Corporate News
A man smokes a cigarette. The new law states that no person is allowed
to manufacture, sell, distribute or import any device that is intended
to obscure the display of health warnings. PHOTO | FILE |
NATION MEDIA GROUP
By SARAH OOKO, sooko@ke.nationmedia.com
In Summary
- The tough regulations come in the wake of damning statistics by the World Health Organization (WHO) linking tobacco use to various ailments.
All manufacturers of tobacco products are now
required to put graphic health warnings on their products' packages
touching on the adverse effects of tobacco use.
The new 2014 Tobacco Control Regulations, published today by
the Ministry of Health (MOH) notes: “The manufacturer, seller,
distributor or importer of a tobacco product shall ensure that the
health warning and message including a pictogram or picture is not
distorted or likely to be damaged, concealed, obliterated, removed or
rendered permanently unreadable when the package on which it is printed
is opened in the normal way.”
The regulations state that the picture or pictogram
used shall be in full colour with a favourable background that
maximises noticeability and legibility of the health warnings.
The published regulations further stipulate that
where the health warning messages and graphics are likely to be obscured
or obliterated by a wrapper on the package, the manufacturers shall
ensure that the words and images are printed on both the wrapper and the
packet of the tobacco product.
Based on this law, no person is allowed to
manufacture, sell, distribute or import any device that is intended to
cover, obscure or detract the display of specified health warnings on
tobacco products.
The tough regulations come in the wake of damning
statistics by the World Health Organization (WHO) linking tobacco use to
various ailments.
According to WHO, the tobacco epidemic is the
leading preventable cause of death worldwide. It kills nearly six
million people annually. Out of these, more than five million are users
or ex-users and more than 600,000 are non-smokers exposed to second-hand
smoke.
Tobacco use is one of the main risk factors for a number of chronic diseases including cancer, lung and heart diseases.
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