Cigarette packets to carry shock photos

Shocking photographs of diseased organs and dying cancer patients will be put on cigarette packets on sale in the UAE from early next year, health chiefs have announced.

Tobacco manufacturers will have to print the photographs in a crackdown on tobacco laws in the region, UAE daily The National reported on Friday following an interview with Dr Wedad al Maidoor, the head of the Ministry of Health Tobacco Control Team.

Residents of the UAE spend about $109million a year on tobacco and Dr al Maidoor said the move should help to reduce the number of smokers and, in particular, prevent non-smokers from taking up the habit.

She said: "The pictures will be seen every time someone buys a packet of cigarettes, or takes one out the packet. We expect them to have a much bigger impact than the written words. People will not be able to ignore the photographs like they can the words."

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 10 per cent of those aged between 13 and 15 are smokers in the UAE, while in the GCC 13 per cent of youth are smokers. These figures prompted the Arab Health Council, based in Saudi Arabia, to announce the move.

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READERS' COMMENTS

Cigarette packets to carry shock photos
Posted by Salim, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates on Sunday 20 July 2008 at 15:46 UAE time

It's not that the smoker ignores the writing, i used to be smoker and i quit.

Smokers know what would be possible to happen to him but don't stop because some enjoy it.

But since someone mentioned shisha i was reading some info and tests done in the US to check the result of smoking shisha and found couples of interesting test which shows that Shisha is more unhealthy than cigaretes because of shisha session can go for more than 40min and up.

I used to smoke for fun but after thinking of the future, every smoke is reducing your lifespan so if you want to live longer quit now.

..Why not ban imports..straight away..?
Posted by kaptain, Dubai, UAE on Saturday 19 July 2008 at 11:54 UAE time

When Shisha can be moved to be banned; why not the cigarettes? Is it that 'some' heavy foreign cartels have influence at 'every' level?

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