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Health Warnings of Cigarette Package in China

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Tobacco Control in China

Abstract

Article 11 has formed the basis for international action to communicate the health risks of tobacco use, and requires each Party to implement within 3 years after ratifying the treaty. The Regulations on Cigarette Packaging and Labeling in the Territories of the People’s Republic of China (the Labeling Regulation) jointly issued and updated by STMA and GAQSIQ in 2008, 2011 and 2016, are the reproduction of STMA’ Research on Counterproposals and Countermeasures against WHO FCTC. This is a typical case of national public power servicing for the interests of tobacco industry. The cigarette package display and assessment study strongly suggested that the Chinese text-only health warnings on cigarette packages are very low effective. By 2016, 105 Parties adopted the graphic warnings on cigarette packaging, covering 58% of the world’s population. China is obviously behind.

To promote implement the Article 11 of WHO FCTC, tobacco control community called for the pictorial warning on the cigarette package by means of research or investigation report, letter of appeal, and so on. The representatives of NPC and members of CPPCC continually submitted their proposals. Tobacco control community carried out the itinerant exhibition of the Pictorial Health Warning from various countries and the others health education activities. However, so far, there has been no sign of improvement as the STMA/CNTC was in charge of implementation of the critical policy. The top priority of tobacco control should ask STMA leave the Steering Committee so as to effective implement Article 11 of WHO FCTC.

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Wu, Y., Yang, G. (2018). Health Warnings of Cigarette Package in China. In: Yang, G. (eds) Tobacco Control in China. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-8315-0_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-8315-0_11

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