The World Health Organization Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) is pushing for a new guideline in packaging tobacco products – plain and standardized.

Once adopted, cigarette companies will be prohibited in using colors, images, and other promotional materials on their cigarette packs. Logos, health advisories, government-mandated information, and brand names, following a standard color, font style, and size will only be the acceptable information on the packaging.

Plain packaging is seen to reduce marketability and demand of cigarettes. “It restricts tobacco advertising and promotion. It limits misleading packaging and labelling. And it increases the effectiveness of health warnings.” says Dr. Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General.

Australia has been the first country to implement plain packaging in 2012. Through the years, there has been a decline in cigarette users post-implementation. Statistics revealed that the prevalence of smoking among Australians aged 14 years old has decreased by 0.55%, or a total of 108,000 people quitting smoking in the country. This data is expected to escalate over the years. France, UK, and Northern Ireland have already commenced the implementation of plain packaging last 20 May 2016. Canada is also set to hold public consultations about the issue.

Approximately, 60 million people die from tobacco-related diseases in the world. In the Philippines, data shows that 87,000 Filipinos succumb to cigarette-related diseases yearly (DOH, 2014). A law on the use of graphic images showing the bad effects of tobacco in cigarette packs distributed in the Philippines is already being implemented in support to WHO’s all-inclusive goal of curbing tobacco use.

The WHO FCTC guideline is part of the World No Tobacco Day Celebration held 31 May 2016. For more information about the packaging guideline, visit http://www.who.int/campaigns/no-tobacco-day/2016/en/. 

Image source:http://goo.gl/2MMO77