Pictorial warnings on cigarette packs compulsory from March

Nadira Gunatilleke

Pictorial warnings on all cigarette packets will be made compulsory by March, next year. Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena took this decision to protect people from cancer, especially oral cancer, a Health Ministry spokesman said.

According to the spokesman, the new law will make it compulsory to cover 80 percent of the cigarette cartons with the pictorial warning which will educate the public on the negative effects of smoking. A gazette related to this was issued some time back but cigarette manufacturing companies filed a case against this gazette notification. The same companies made requests to meet Minister Sirisena but he did not give them appointments. Minister Sirisena said he will not hesitate to take any steps to control smoking and protect the public from cancer.

Schoolchildren, especially from rural areas, are addicted to smoking which cause oral and other forms of cancer. Smoking is one of the leading cause for many Non Communicable Diseases on the rise in Sri Lanka, he said.