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International Internet Magazine. Baltic States news & analytics Thursday, 28.03.2024, 21:43

Tough warning pictures will be printed on packs of cigarettes in Estonia

Juhan Tere, BC, Tallinn, 19.10.2012.Print version
Estonian Social Ministry is compiling tobacco policy Green Book that will include a proposal, based on an EU directive, to "adorn" packs of cigarettes with tough warning pictures, LETA/Eesti Päevaleht writes.

The Social Ministry did not wish to comment in many details, before the round of approvals from other ministries, on what the most important changes would be on the accessibility, advertising, price policies, information etc in the tobacco policy base document or the so-called Green Book that has been compiled for a year. One thing that is certain is that the book includes a proposal, based on an EU directive, to "adorn" packs of cigarettes with warning pictures.

 

The pictures required for the cigarette packs are the same for all EU states but every state can choose either softer or tougher pictures. 14 picture warnings have to be chosen, one picture for each warning label.

 

Social Ministry environmental health and chemicals safety manager Aive Telling said that the working group based the choice of pictures on studies about their effectiveness as well as their own experiences but hasn't made final decisions yet. "Images that cause fear and strong emotions are the most effective way to educate consumers," she said.

 

The Green Book of tobacco policy will reach the government at the end of the year, the law amendments will be prepared next year. European Union member states will have to start following the directive on March 28, 2014 latest. Old packs, that do not have a picture on them, can be marketed till spring 2016.

 






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