Health Ministry to appeal for larger warning graphics on cigarette packs
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The Public Health Ministry on Tuesday filed an appeal with the Supreme Administrative Court to allow it to make the warning graphics on cigarette packs larger.
The move comes after last month’s suspension by the Administrative Court of the plan, under which tobacco companies would have been forced to increase the size of the warning graphic from 55 per cent of the pack surface to 85 per cent.
Dr Nopporn Cheanklin, deputy director of the Disease Control Department, said the ministry will file an appeal to the Supreme Court on two main points. First, the ministry will ask the court to force cigarette makers to use the set of 10 warning graphics on cigarette packs, as designated by the ministerial announcement that takes effect on October 2. He acknowledged that the makers will have to lay out money for the printing of the new set of warning graphics on cigarette packs.
Second, the ministry will ask the court to force the cigarette makers enlarge the warning graphics on packs to cover up to 85 per cent of the surface
The ministry is expected to file an appeal with the court by tomorrow. It is currently waiting for academic papers that will demonstrate to the judges how enlarging the warning graphic on the will reduce the number of new smokers.
Meanwhile, Pradith said at least 9 cigarette makers had already complied with the ministerial announcement and changed the warning graphics on their cigarette packets. Two of them had already shipped their products to Thailand.
