Will ‘plain’ packaging deter you from smoking?
The month of May is Anti-tobacco campaign month... CANSA supports the call from the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control that requires tobacco products to have plain packaging and graphic warning signs.
POLOKWANE – After the advertisement of tobacco products was halted in 2011, cigarette manufacturers focused mainly on the packaging to sell their products. WHO FCTC seeks to protect future generations from the harmful effects of tobacco consumption by enacting a set of universal standards stating the dangers of tobacco and limiting its use in all forms worldwide. This framework requires tobacco products to be packaged in non-illustrated packaging with only graphical images to show the effects of tobacco use.
The Cancer Association of South Africa (Cansa) supports this decision.
We spoke to Cansa Polokwane community mobiliser, René Robberts regarding this framework.
“The ‘no name’ packaging is an important factor to reduce the demand for tobacco products and the use of graphical images to show the effects of tobacco use will deter even more consumers from buying the products,” Robberts explained.
The CEO of Cansa, Elize Joubert, praised the South African government for starting work on a concept design for tobacco packaging in the country to adhere to the WHO FCTC.
“Tobacco is still one of the biggest killers in the world, whether it be due to cancer or other tobacco related illnesses. That is why we welcome South Africa’s stance on no tobacco use, with the introduction of plain packaging, for World No Tobacco Day on 31 May,” Joubert said.
