Green Life

The tobacco industry has a well rehearsed tactics in countries where the law requires to put picture warnings on health on cigarette packages. Under pressure from the industry it fits a gap in the language of the statute as to the date of application of graphic warnings.

Thus, Mauritius, Philippines, India, Iran and Australia, and perhaps also in other countries, the trick is to supply a date of manufacture and import instead of a date Listed effective when the images are appearing on cigarette packages on the market and

failing which the boxes of cigarettes without picture warnings will be seized.

Taking advantage of this confusion deliberate, tons of cigarettes are generally "manufactured" and "imported" to be sold on the market until stocks are exhausted.

Malaysia and Brunei have avoided the trap of specifying the date on which all packages offered for sale must necessarily contain pictures of warning.

Our correspondents have reported the following facts:

In the Philippines, text messages were delayed mandatory and in 2006.

In India, the images were expected warnings on the packages go on sale May 31, 2009, but a directive from the Ministry of Health explained that this concern packages manufactured and imported after May 31, 2009! Thus more than half of the packages sold in India still do not have picture warnings to health.

In Iran, after the date of enforcement, less than half the packets had images of warnings. Today, after 6 months, 80% of packages offered for sale are shown under the law.

In Australia, 16 months after the introduction of graphic warnings, 70% of tobacco outlets in Sydney still sell packages without images.

In Mauritius, according to new amendments to the law, packages manufactured and imported before 1 June 2009 are still on sale until stocks run out. We should expect that the packages go on sale in December 2009 in Mauritius include all graphic warnings.

The questions that could arise are: What is the date of "freshness" of a pack of cigarettes? And what is the maximum time that the industry agrees to be in compliance with the law?

The burden PROVIDED remains the tobacco industry.